The Art of Falling in Love
by Loveandcoffeeandsimplicities
Summary: What happens when everything you know turns upside down and you have to build your life from scratch? Caitlin has a tough choice to make and newcomer Barry will do whatever it takes to make sure she makes the right one. Snowbarry to soothe my aching heart. I do not own the Flash.
1. Chapter 1

Lights flashed around the club as sweaty bodies pressed tighter and tighter together. Caitlin threw her head back and released an exhilarated laugh as she danced between Hartley and his boyfriend. This was exactly what she needed after a long work week. She smiled as she threw her arms around Hartley's neck.

"Hartley, dance with me!" She squealed excitedly. Hartley laughed and pulled her close.

"What do you think we were doing two seconds ago?" He replied. Ben smiled as he looked at the two friends. He knew that Hartley had been right in suggesting a night out for the three of them. After everything that Caitlin had been through, she needed it.

"I'm gonna go get a few more drinks, I'll be right back." Ben shouted over the thumping bass. He knew that Caitlin needed a few moments alone with his boyfriend to process everything that had happened and he wanted to make sure he gave her that. Caitlin closed her eyes and grinned like the Cheshire cat as he turned away.

"Vodka!" She shouted back and Ben rolled his eyes fondly as he made his way to the bar.

Once realizing that it was just the two of them, Hartley grabbed Caitlin's hand and led her to a booth.

"My feet are killing me," Caitlin groaned as she fell back onto the seat. Hartley laughed as he sat down next to her more gracefully.

"Six inch stilettos in a club will do that to you." He replied as he took off his blazer. Caitlin closed her eyes as she felt the alcohol swimming through her veins and Hartley took the time to study her.

There was a soft discoloration around her neck and the faint imprint of fingers wrapped loosely around the mark. As if she knew he was staring, Caitlin opened her eyes and shook her head.

"Don't," she stated softly and Hartley nodded his head, knowing better than to argue with her. Not when her guards were down like this and she was having fun. Ben appeared next to them and slid Caitlin's shot of vodka over to her, as well as a glass of water. He then handed Hartley his whiskey and coke.

"To healthy friendships!" Ben announced and the trio quickly downed their drinks.

"And healthy relationships, I suppose," Ben amended a moment later. Caitlin grinned softly at the couple before glancing at her watch. She sighed as she stood up.

"Sorry guys, I have to go." She said as she balanced herself on wobbly knees. Hartley nodded as he followed suit. He placed a hand lightly around her elbow to help steady her.

"We'll walk you out." He replied. Caitlin nodded her head gratefully as she held her clutch in one hand and her water in the other, occasionally taking small sips out of it. Once they made it outside of the club, Ben hailed down a cab for her as Hartley pulled her off to the side.

"Cait, promise me you'll call me if you need my help for anything." Hartley whispered. Caitlin focused her round eyes on him and nodded her head slowly, having no trouble understanding what he was referring to.

"I will," she murmured as a cab pulled up and Ben opened the door for her. She gave both men a quick kiss on their cheeks and got in.

"Thanks, gentlemen!" She called out before she shut the door.

As soon as the cab pulled away, Caitlin leaned her head against the cool window and sighed. She was going to be in so much trouble.

"Where to miss?" The cab driver asked.

"Home."

As Caitlin eased open her front door thirty minutes later she stiffened before walking in. Like the calm before the storm, Caitlin knew what was about to occur would be bad. Taking a deep breathe, she managed to calm her erratically beating heart and shut the door softly.

"Do you have any idea what time it is?" Though not totally unexpected, the harsh voice made Caitlin jump slightly as she turned around slowly.

Jay was sitting in their living room, staring at her with menacing eyes. Caitlin felt a shiver run down her spine as she nervously watched him.

"It's three. In the morning," Jay spit out viciously as he stood up. Caitlin backed against the door as she bit her lip.

"I know I said I'd be home around one but I just really wanted to catch up with Hartley and Be-" A sharp blow to her face had her head slamming back into the door and stars burst in front of her eyes. Groaning, she blinked back the pain as a hand flew up to instinctively cover her cheek.

The look in Jay's eyes was murderous and Caitlin wondered if she should start running now.

"When you say you're going to be home at a certain time, I expect you to be home at that time," Jay snarled as he placed both hands on either side of her head, effectively locking her in place against the door.

Caitlin willed herself not to tremble in front of him, it only made him angrier.

"I'm-I'm sorry," Caitlin said softly as she avoided his fiery gaze. She winced as Jay roughly grabbed her chin and forced her to look up at him.

"Why the hell are you back so late?" He demanded.

"I told you, I wanted to spend a little more time with my friends," Caitlin replied carefully. She watched as his eyes narrowed and knew that in the next moment she would be feeling extreme pain.

Jay flung her onto the ground and she gasped as she had the air knocked out of her.

"You were with someone else, weren't you?" Jay growled as Caitlin struggled to catch her breath.

"N-no! Just with them, I promise!" Caitlin cried. This was how these nights always went. Caitlin would go out with her two colleagues and Jay would automatically assume she was cheating on him. She was getting tired of it.

"Why won't you just believe me for once?" Caitlin bit out. Mistake number one: never lash out at your angry husband. Jay was seething as his boot made contact with her ribs and she screamed out as she curled herself into a tight ball.

"Maybe I would believe you if you didn't go out to clubs dressed like that!" Jay yelled. It took all of Caitlin's self restraint to not cry as she clutched her side. At least two ribs were broken. At least. She thought he would let up as he saw her laying on the ground, struggling to breathe through the pain.

Mistake number two: never assume your angry husband was done until he said he was done. He bent down and picked her up roughly and slammed her against the wall. For the second time that night, stars burst in front of her eyes and for a moment everything went black. Then Jay was throwing her down on the ground and kicking her with a vendetta.

"Stop! STOP!" Caitlin shrieked out.

"I'm sorry I'm late, just please stop!" She begged but it made no difference; Jay was merciless in his attack. Eventually, she blacked out.

Caitlin came to sometime later with a gasp. Every bone in her body was on fire. She glanced around through squinted eyes as her head pounded and noticed that Jay was nowhere to be seen. Convinced that at least a half dozen bones were broken, Caitlin glanced frantically around for her phone. Noticing it a few feet away from her, Caitlin stretched her arm out to reach it while suppressing a scream. With fumbling fingers she quickly scrolled through her contacts until she landed on the one she desperately wanted.

With a quivering lip, she prayed that they would answer.

"Hello?"

"Hartley," Caitlin cried, "I need your help."


	2. Chapter 2

Caitlin wasn't sure how long she laid there, praying that Hartley would hurry, but she must've passed out again at some point because the next thing she was conscious of was a persistent beeping to the left of her. Groaning softly, she peeled one eye open and looked around.

"Cait?" The voice was much too soft, a broken whisper barely wrapping itself around the word. She shifted her eyes a little bit and found Hartley sitting next to her with panic etched across his face, making him look much too old for his age.

"Hi," Caitlin murmured as she continued taking in her surroundings. Hospital. She was in a hospital. Of course.

"How long have I been out?" She asked uncertainly.

She sighed softly as Hartley rubbed a weary hand over his face.

"About eight hours." Hartley muttered, too busy taking in her appearance to give much thought to anything else. She bit her lip and glanced around.

"Uh, do you know…I mean, well, what happened to, uh, where's Jay?" She finished lamely, not quite sure why it was harder to ask this question this time around; it wasn't the first time that his antics had landed her in the hospital and she doubted it would be his last.

She inhaled sharply as Hartley's eyes clouded over with undisguised hatred.

"Gone. Coward fled as soon as he heard the sirens." Hartley snapped and she winced, knowing just how angry he was. She tried to lift a soothing hand to his head only to realize it was encased in a cast.

"How bad am I?" Caitlin mumbled dejectedly.

"Broken wrist, three broken ribs, two broken fingers, and a concussion." Hartley couldn't look at her as he replied.

"Well. That tells me not to pick a fight with my husband." Caitlin tries to joke feebly but regrets it almost the instant the sentence leaves her lips.

Hartley pinches the bridge of his nose with his thumb and index finger, exhaling a shaky breathe.

"When is enough enough, Cait?" He demands dully. She feels the ache behind his words though, she always has. Caitlin closes her eyes, fights the tears threatening to unleash, and shrugs.

"I don't know," she replies quietly, knowing it's not the answer he's looking for.

The pain that is unleashed across his face is a pain she's all too familiar with; it's a pain that's mirrored inside her very heart.

"Cait," he starts, "I can't keep seeing you like this. He'll end up killing you one day."

"I-I know tha-" Caitlin tries but is interrupted.

"No, I don't think you do. Not really. If you did, you'd have reported him a long time ago." Hartley ground out through clenched teeth and Caitlin was at a loss for words. He was right, of course he was right. She knew that. Still….it didn't stop her from being scared of the man she lived with.

"I'm scared." Her confession caused her heart to bleed because it was the first time she admitted it out loud. She blinked back tears as she dropped her eyes and fiddled with a loose thread in her hospital gown.

Only when she felt soft fingers against her chin did she look up.

"I know you are. That's why I called in reinforcements," Hartley replied softly.

Caitlin huffed.

"Reinforce-what does that mean?" She demanded. Hartley smirked softly at the soft knock that sounded against the door.

"You're about to find out." He stood up and let the reinforcement in, talking briefly before he moved out of the way and Caitlin saw who she was dealing with.

Oliver Queen.

"You called my cousin?" She shrieked, completely irritated.

Oliver didn't look unsure of himself as he strode in the room and she wasn't sure why. It had been at least two years since they'd last seen each other.

He came up to the edge of her bed and smiled slightly.

"Hey baby cousin. Time to get you out of that hell." He murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

Caitlin was still fuming as Oliver ran over the plan one more time.

"You cannot be serious," she muttered as she glared at him but far from looking remotely abashed, he just sent a smug smirk her way.

"Afraid I am, Snowy," he remarked calmly. Caitlin shook her head and looked imploringly at Hartley.

"Hartley, tell me you don't support this mad idea of his. You know what would happen to me if I left Jay," Caitlin pleaded.

Hartley just shook his head softly.

"Sorry, Cait, but it's safer this way," he replied resolutely. Sighing, she looked wearily at Oliver.

"So, in order for me to "escape the master" as you have so wittingly called my husband, I have to move to Central City? Why can't I move to Starling City with you?" She demanded.

Oliver shook his head, unperturbed by her petulant attitude.

"That's the first place he'd think to look, Snowy. He knows you and I are close, or as close as he allowed us to be, something I'll never forgive myself for…" Oliver trailed off as he smiled sadly and even though she vehemently wanted to protest this crazy notion, Caitlin couldn't help but feel sorry for him.

"Hey, don't do that to yourself, Ollie. It's not your fault." She ran a soothing thumb along his knuckles and smiled slightly as the clouded expression faded from his eyes. She looked back and forth between Hartley and Oliver, knowing deep down in her heart that she had already lost the battle. It was lost before it even begun, really.

"What am I even supposed to do in Central City?" She asked glumly and didn't fail to notice the way Hartley and Oliver exchanged satisfied smiles.

"Easy. Go back to being a doctor." Hartley remarked, knowing that with Jay around, Caitlin had to go to a less demanding job.

"You love helping people, Cait." Oliver agreed and Caitlin hummed thoughtfully. She did love being a doctor, well, until Jay took that away from her.

"Is there even a local practice I could get involved with?" She asked.

"Well, there's something but we can discuss it when you get settled there." Oliver replied nonchalantly, piquing Caitlin's interest but she decided to not take the bait; she was still angry with him over this whole fiasco. If Jay found out that she was even considering leaving him, she was as good as dead.

As if reading her thoughts, Hartley spoke up, "He can't touch you there. You're safe." He ran his hand along her forearm and she tried her best to not let the fissures inside her crack any more than they already had.

"I'm gonna miss you so much." She whispered as a single tear ran down her cheek. Hartley was quick to swipe it away as he smiled softly.

"Cait, you're still gonna have me in your life. I promise you I'm not going anywhere. This is the only thing Ben and I could think of doing that ensured your safety." He leaned forward and pressed his lips softly to her forehead and sighed.

"You should know he's livid. He couldn't get them to cover at the newspaper but he's solely thinking about running an article on domestic abuse." He added.

"Tell him I appreciate him," Caitlin replied softly. She glanced around, hoping to see some sign telling her that she wasn't about to make an even bigger mess of her life. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"When do we leave?" She asked in a small voice.

"As soon as they can discharge you. You'll have to buy everything in Central City, there's no way I'm letting you go back into that house." Oliver firmly stated. Caitlin knew he was looking out for her emotional wellbeing at this point and smiled gratefully.

"And, is there another job I can look into getting before I decide if I want to be a doctor again?" She questioned, looking back and forth between the two men in front of her.

"Yes. Part of the reason why I'm okay with letting you stay in Central City and not Starling is because I'll be there quite frequently. Verdant was so popular that Felicity and I decided to open a twin club in Central City. I figure you can be a waitress or something while you get your footing." Oliver said.

Caitlin snorted. "Me? A cocktail waitress. I don't know the first thing about serving people anything other than bedside manner, Ollie."

"We'll have Thea show you the ropes. It's easy enough to learn." He promised with a gentle smile.

Caitlin bit down on her lip, mulling things over, before settling on a decision.

"Let's see if they can discharge me by tomorrow. The sooner I get away from here, the better." She reaffirmed.

Hartley and Oliver grinned triumphantly.


	4. Chapter 4

The next few days were a whirlwind of movement for Caitlin. Oliver and Hartley had gotten her discharged from the hospital and, despite a few useless protests from Caitlin, they had gotten her bundled into Oliver's car and they were on their way.

"You still didn't have to come, you know," Caitlin murmured to Hartley, who just shot her a smirk.

"Of course I did, Cait," Hartley remarked. "I need to make sure your new accommodations are up to my standards."

Caitlin just rolled her eyes. "Has anyone ever told you that you have high maintenance?"

"Yes, you. On a number of different occasions," Hartley deadpanned.

Oliver laughed at the quirky pair. "You two are going to have to make sure you stay in contact with each other as much as possible. And Hartley, I can fly you out to visit her whenever you want," he promised.

"Thanks, Ollie," Caitlin smiled. She ran her hand over the cast around her wrist and glanced out the window. Everything she thought she knew about herself was slowly escaping her and she wasn't sure how she was supposed to cope with starting over. She was losing her best friend and her home all at once and that terrified her. As if knowing her thoughts were leading her down a dark path, Oliver squeezed her free hand gently. Looking up, she nodded her head gratefully at him before clearing her head of the thoughts.

"So, am I staying in a hotel until I find an apartment?" She asked, unsure of what the protocol was.

Oliver shook his head as he switched lanes. "No. There is a small studio flat above Verdant 2.0 that has your name written all over it. Free of charge."

Caitlin stared at him for a moment before roughly shaking her head.

"Ollie, I can't stay there for free!" She exclaimed.

"You really don't get a say in the matter, Snowy," Oliver chuckled. Caitlin bit her lip, knowing just how stubborn her cousin was.

"At least let me do something to pay you back," she pleaded. She was already feeling immensely guilty at the idea of leeching off Oliver and wanted some way to pay back all of the kindness he was showing her.

"You're helping enough by working at the club. That's all I ask of you." Oliver firmly stated and Caitlin knew this was a battle she wasn't going to win. Sighing, she nodded and dropped the subject. The rest of the ride was spent in comfortable silence, each of the three people lost in their own thoughts.

"Welcome to Central City, Snowy." Caitlin blinked as she got her first glimpse of the city. This was going to be her new home for who knew how long and she was already feeling overwhelmed by the size of it. As if sensing her trepidation about what could happen in a new city, Hartley rubbed her shoulder softly as Oliver drove into the heart of the city.

"Think of all the cool coffee shops you'll be able to try out," Hartley murmured and Caitlin flashed him a grateful smile.

A surprisingly short time later, Oliver stopped the car and looked at his cousin.

"Welcome to your new home, Snowy," he said gently and Caitlin turned her round eyes on him and bit her lip.

"I-I don't know if I can do this," she stuttered out but Oliver shook his head.

"You've already survived the hard part. The rest of it will be a walk in the park. Trust me." He soothed. She nodded her head and the trio got out of the car and walked towards the building. On the outside it looked like just a plain building but Caitlin knew just how easy looks could be deceiving. 'Look at my marriage', she thought sadly before shaking her head clear of the thought. She wasn't going to be able to begin the healing process if she was still trapped in the past.

Once inside, Caitlin took all the details in. Everything from the dance floor to the alcohol stacked high behind the bar. She spotted a woman she hadn't seen in years and squealed.

"Thea!" The woman turned and grinned brightly.

"Caity!" She called back as she rushed to her.

"I'd hug you but you're looking pretty rough. What happened this time? Fall down a flight of stairs?" Thea joked and Caitlin's eyes sought out Oliver who shook his head slightly, informing her that Thea knew nothing of her marriage.

"Something like that," Caitlin laughed in agreement and Thea rolled her eyes fondly.

"Oliver told me you were coming to work here. I'll consider forgiving you for the radio silence these past few years if you promise to let me help decorate your studio," Thea declared and Caitlin nodded her head. It would be nice to have another woman to talk to as she got settled into her new job.

"You've got yourself a deal," Caitlin replied. She glanced around the club one more time, having no difficulty imagining how packed it would get by the time night came.

"When do I start my job?" She asked Oliver.

"As soon as you get settled and your cast comes off," Oliver responded.

"Until then, I'll introduce you to the other staff members tonight. You'll meet the main bartender, Cisco, in a few hours. He usually works nights and weekends because he has another day job but I'll let him explain that to you later," Oliver added. Caitlin looked at him curiously but decided not to push. She knew she'd learn the secrets of the city soon enough. For now, she was happy to be away from her previous life. She happily anticipated the change that was sure to come.

For a brief moment, she felt at peace. Too bad her peace wouldn't be lasting long.


	5. Chapter 5

"C'mon, Snowy, I want to introduce you to the team," Oliver's voice rang out through the empty club and Caitlin looked at him.

"Are you sure I have to meet them right now? I'm not even working yet," she protested but Oliver simply flung his arm around her shoulders and walked her towards the bar where a group of people had gathered.

"Hey, I need everyone's attention," Oliver called out and all activities came to a standstill as everyone turned to look at them. Caitlin felt her cheeks flood with color as curious eyes stared at her and she swiftly tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear.

"Guys, this is our new cocktail waitress, Caitlin. Also known as my cousin," Oliver stated. There was a flurry of movement as everyone rushed to shake her hand and Caitlin found herself shrinking against Oliver to make herself as small as possible. She noticed with relief that one guy seemed to catch onto her discomfort and remained several paces way from her. She dipped her head gratefully in his direction.

"H-hi. I'm Cait," she stuttered out. She turned her eyes on each individual briefly before they landed back on the man who had kept his distance. Oliver followed her eyesight before squeezing her shoulder gently.

"Mr. Ramon, if you please." Oliver beckoned him over with two of his fingers and Caitlin watched as the man strolled towards them casually.

"I'm Cisco Ramon." The man offered as he held out his hand for her to shake before noticing that her wrist was encased in a cast. He dropped his hand and subtly popped his knuckles before looking inquiringly at Oliver.

"Your cousin, boss?" He questioned and Oliver nodded his head. He glanced around at all of the other employees staring at them with interest before cutting his eyes back to Cisco and tilting his head in their direction. Cisco picked up on the hint immediately.

"All of you, back to work. Now." Cisco didn't have to raise his voice to get his order across and Caitlin watched as all of the other workers scurried off to various parts of the club before looking back at Cisco.

"You call the shots around here?" And wow, where did that boldness come from, Cait?

Oliver chuckled as he nodded his head.

"Cisco is the bar manager and my right hand man when I'm not on the floor," he clarified. Cisco looked at them intently before pulling a lollipop out of his pocket, unwrapped it, and popped it into his mouth.

"I'm not a babysitter, Oliver," he stated and Caitlin felt her cheeks heat up again as she gaped at him.

"Who, who said I- I'm not a child-I don't, I'm perfectly fine looking after myself!" Caitlin squeaked out and both men laughed.

"So articulate," Cisco drawled out in a bored voice.

"But, funnily enough, she's right," Oliver continued when it looked like Caitlin had been rendered speechless.

"I don't need you to babysit her, she's joining the team. I just need you to show her the ropes," he added. Caitlin glanced at him curiously and wondered why Oliver didn't put CIsco in his place for talking to him with such authority.

Cisco narrowed his eyes before nodding his head.

"Alright," he replied in a clipped tone. "I assume you want me to do that when her cast is off, correct?" He jerked his head towards her arm.

Oliver smirked.

"C'mon Cisco, you know better than to ask me stupid questions," he laughed.

Cisco merely crunched down on his lollipop with an almost bored look in his eyes. He nodded his head once before throwing away the stick.

"Fine. But just so you know, Barry's coming in at ten tonight and I told him I'd have his drink ready as soon as he walks through the door, so your cousin is going to have to stay out of my way."

Caitlin felt her irritation grow at this man and she narrowed her eyes.

"Relax, Mr. Ramon," Caitlin snapped, "I'll be out of your hair by the time ten even rolls around."

Cisco raised his eyebrows before chuckling.

"She's got fire, Oliver," he commented and Caitlin suddenly felt even more confused than she did two minutes ago. Did this guy mind her company or not?

Oliver rolled his eyes before removing his arm from around Caitlin shoulders.

"Cait, just listen to what Cisco has to say and you'll be fine. I have to go meet Felicity in an hour to discuss promotions for tonight so, anything you need, just ask him," he nodded his head towards Cisco before darting off. Caitlin sighed as she turned back to Cisco who was staring at her oddly. She suddenly felt the need to look away and busied herself with looking around the club.

"Look, I'm not going to ask you what happened to you or why you're suddenly working here for Oliver when we all know that you two haven't seen each other in a couple of years," Cisco said abruptly.

"However, I am going to request that if you have any questions you come directly to me. None of these other idiots can be trusted."

Caitlin stared at him curiously before shrugging her shoulders.

"Okay," she replied simply.

Cisco seemed lost in thought for a moment before reaching behind the bar and pulling out a shot glass.

"Rule number one: never accept a drink from any of the bartenders or customers," he acknowledged as he tapped the empty shot glass onto the bar. Caitlin nodded her head and wondered if they had had problems in the past because of that and then realized she didn't care.

"Rule number two: don't put up with sleazy men hitting on you. Come to me if that ever happens and I'll take care of it. Verdant is a pretty safe setting for the most part but every once in a while we'll get the occasional jerk who can't keep his mouth shut and his hands to himself. Don't think for a second that you have to tolerate that because you're a waitress," Cisco stated. Caitlin glanced down at her arm briefly before squaring her shoulders and nodded.

"Rule number three: don't fight with any of the customers. If you do come across a jerk who makes you feel uncomfortable, simply walk away without taking his order and come to me. I'm always behind the bar so you'll have no difficulty finding me. I'll take care of it from there," he promised and again, Caitlin wondered if they had had problems with that in the past but knew better than to ask.

"Now, if you can follow those three rules, you'll have no difficulty fitting in here," Cisco carried on.

"Bit of a warning but not quite a rule: work relationships are frowned upon but not against the rules. Just leave your baggage at the door with whoever you're dating and you'll be fine," Cisco slid the shot glass across the bar before looking back at her.

"Have you ever done any type of waitress work before?" He asked curiously.

"Small town diner," she responded sheepishly.

"Not the best but I'll take it. This is going to be a much faster paced environment and you are going to want to rip your hair out some nights. Put a smile on and keep working," he advised. Cisco glanced at his watch.

"Right, well, that's all the basics for now. You can shadow me at the bar and I can help run through some of the dynamics tonight but when we get busy, you better find something else to do." Cisco stated.

Caitlin nodded her head as she watched Cisco walk away without another word and she groaned. What the hell had she gotten herself into?


	6. Chapter 6

"Right, welcome to your first night on the job at Verdant 2.0," Cisco's voice sounded against her ear and Caitlin was surprised she could hear him over the vibrating music at all. Literally hundreds of people were pressed tightly against each other as they danced along to whatever disc the DJ was spinning.

"There's so many people," Caitlin shouted back and was startled to see Cisco laughing.

"Nah, this is a slow night for us. C'mon, follow me to the bar, we'll be able to hear each other a little easier," he added as he placed his hand on her shoulder to guide her forward. He dropped it immediately when Caitlin flinched, however. He looked at her inquisitively but did not per sue the matter as he led the way.

Once behind the bar, Caitlin felt a small sense of relief at to the more intimate side on this side of the club. It was only the two of them and not too many people were lingering around.

"Right, I've got about half an hour to show you some of the ropes so, just follow my lead alright?" Cisco questioned before turning to one of the few guys standing around.

"Off duty, Eddie?" Cisco called out as he pulled a shot glass from behind the bar and a bottle of tequila out from underneath it. He poured a generous measure before sliding it to towards the man.

After downing it with a dip of his head, the man, (Eddie, Cisco said), smiled briefly.

"Bachelor party. Boss gave me the night off," he replied before glancing at Caitlin.

"I'm Eddie, by the way. You new?" He skipped past the pleasantries as he sized Caitlin up, eyes zeroing in on her cast and Caitlin placed her arm behind her back slightly.

"Caitlin. And yes, I'm new. Cisco is just showing me some of the ropes," she replied casually, trying to ignore the harsh thumping of her heart in her chest. Was every new guy she met going to make her afraid? She watched as Cisco poured him another shot before sliding it towards him. Eddie shot it back in one smooth motion before smirking.

"Thanks boss. Now, I'm off to find the rest of my party. Cisco, you keep an eye on our new girl here and don't let her do anything I wouldn't do," he laughed.

"So, nothing then?" Cisco drawled out dryly but Eddie merely winked and sauntered off.

Caitlin raised an eyebrow curiously as Cisco rinsed out the shot glass.

"Eddie's one of our regulars and a standup guy. He works at the precinct but I'm sure you'll find out all about that if you're planning on staying longer than a few days," Cisco replied.

"And he's getting married?" Caitlin inquired.

"That's usually why people have bachelor parties, yeah," Cisco smirked and Caitlin took it in her stride, knowing he wasn't being mean.

"Right then, Joe and Barry are about to be here and there's not much else for you to do but watch okay? I'll be able to teach you more when you're out of your cast, anyways. So just hang back and relax," Cisco added.

As if on cue, two men walked up to the bar and Caitlin watched them with interest.

"Detective West, Barry." Cisco acknowledge. The older looking one sighed.

"Cisco, if I've told you once, I've told you a thousand times: it's Joe," he replied with an eye roll. Cisco laughed and shrugged as he turned his attention on the other guy.

"Hey Barry, one whiskey straight, coming up. Although, I don't know why you drink anymore to be honest," he smirked as he fixed his drink. Caitlin watched as Barry glared at him and cut his eyes over to hers'. She blushed at the attention for a moment before fiddling with her cast.

"And what's your name?" Joe asked once he spotted her as well. Caitlin blinked as she looked up at them.

"Caitlin Snow," she replied softly before looking around the club. She could feel the guy named Barry looking at her intently and started breathing through her mouth and out through her nose to keep the anxiety at bay.

"You weren't here last night," he stated and Cisco shot her a bemused look,

"Congratulations Barry for spotting the difference right away," he replied sarcastically and Caitlin watched in slight fascination as a rosy blush kissed Barry's cheeks as he rubbed his neck awkwardly.

"Uh, yeah, I just meant…uh, you know, yeah," he mumbled and Caitlin took a little pity on him.

"It's my first night here. Well, Cisco's just showing me the ropes, but I'll officially start in a couple of weeks when…" she trailed off as she glanced down at her arm, catching all three of the men's attention.

"Mind me asking what happened?" The man named Joe asked. She watched as his eyes took in all of her features, landing on the faint discoloration around her neck that no amount of makeup had fixed.

Caitlin shrugged. "Fell down. Happens a lot."

Joe narrowed his eyes but nodded his head anyways and Caitlin knew then and there that she'd have to be careful around this man considering he was a detective and he could probably call people out on lies in his sleep. Caitlin busied herself for the remainder of their chat before both guys walked off.

"You fell, hmm?" Cisco's voice pulled her away from her thoughts and she blinked at him, startled.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" She replied nonchalantly.

"That's what I heard," Cisco agreed before stepping up to help the next customer.

"I don't believe it for a second though. And, for the record, neither did Joe and Barry if the way they're staring at you are any indication. So I'd watch out for them." he added.

Well, dammit.


	7. Chapter 7

A few weeks later found Caitlin cast free and about to start her first real shift at Verdant 2.0. To say she was nervous was an understatement; she was scared senseless. Not only had she never done this type of waitressing before but there would be literally hundreds of people crowding the dance floor. She'd feel suffocated the moment she stepped onto the floor. Sighing, she threw her hair up into a high pony tail, swapped her bathrobe for the ensemble all the women were required to wear and hastily checked to make sure the bruises that still surrounded her ribs were covered perfectly. Once satisfied with her appearance, Caitlin made her way out of her studio apartment and down to the main floor of the club.

Upon entering, she spotted Cisco and quickly made a beeline towards him. Over the past few weeks she had been shadowing him and he had warmed up to her significantly. Turned out, they both had a shared passion for anything science and knowledge in general and they bonded over that. Apart from Oliver and Thea, she was closest to Cisco and liked his companionship. She smiled as she reach him.

"Hey, Caitlin," Cisco grinned as he looked up from the glasses he was cleaning.

"You ready for tonight?" He questioned and Caitlin bobbed her head.

"As I'll ever be," she replied with a chuckle before glancing around for her tray she was supposed to carry all night. Cisco caught her curious eye and tilted his head to the other side of the bar.

"Far left, underneath the bar top. I pulled it out for you so you didn't have to risk anyone bumping into your arm tonight when there's a mad rush to get one," he said and Caitlin smiled gratefully.

"You're the best," she replied.

"And don't you forget it," Cisco chuckled as she made her way to the far left side of the bar and peered underneath the top. Sure enough, there was a tray waiting for her and she eased it out gently, not wanting to put too much strain onto her recently healed wrist. She made her way back to Cisco and glanced around the club that was already filling up rapidly. She took a steadying breath.

"Remember, you can do this. Come to me if there's any trouble, alright?" Cisco reassured her with a grin before waving her off.

Caitlin spent the first couple of hours walking around to different people, taking drink orders before making her way to the bar to place them. Cisco was anything if not perfect when it came to mixing drinks and always had her orders ready before any of the other waitresses. She wondered if she should feel guilty about this but was mainly relieved she had seemed to make such a good friend in the first place.

"Vodka and sprite, please," Caitlin called over the thrum of the music. Cisco nodded his head briefly and made the drink in no time at all before sending her on her way. Once she made it back to the man who had ordered it, she handed it to him with a smile before getting ready to walk off. His hand grabbing her by the elbow stilled her and she immediately felt knots coil tightly in her stomach.

"Why don't you get one for yourself, sweetheart, and we can drink them together?" The man's smile was anything but pleasant and Caitlin was reminded strongly of the way Jay would smirk at her. Breathing in through her nose, she shook her head with the same smile still plastered on her face.

"No thanks, I've got to keep working," she replied as she tried to tug her arm out of his grip. He held on tighter.

"One break surely wouldn't kill you," he remarked. Caitlin felt the knots coil tighter and glanced around for Cisco but he was busy with another waitress and she knew he wouldn't hear her if she shouted. Wondering if she could possibly get away with "accidentally" spilling his drink on him and then walk away, she felt another presence behind her.

"I believe she said no. No means no. Let her go." Caitlin vaguely recognized the voice but couldn't place it. However, she watched in slight surprise as the guy nodded his head and dropped her arm. Turning around, she came in contact with Barry.

"Barry?" She asked, relief coloring her tone as she studied him. She watched as he grinned at her without taking his eyes off the man's retreating back.

"You okay?" He asked and for the first time, she noticed a hard edge to his voice, so different from the friendly tone she heard when they had briefly met the first time.

Swallowing her nerves, she nodded her head.

"Yeah, the guy just wouldn't let me get back to my shift," she explained as she shrugged her shoulder.

Barry nodded his head. "Yeah, I heard the conversation. I know Cisco usually deals with these types of situations but he's a little busy at the moment and I figured some help was better than no help," he grinned shiftily and Caitlin nodded.

"You're right, thanks. Now, I hate to be rude but I really have to get back to my shift." Caitlin apologized and Barry nodded his head in understanding.

"Of course. I'll let you get back to it now." Barry promised and Caitlin hoisted her tray over her shoulder and began to navigate her way away from him. She had made it only a couple of paces before she heard him calling out to her once more.

"Oh and Caitlin? Good to see you out of the cast," he remarked.

Caitlin smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Caitlin heaved a sigh of relief as the night came to an end and she placed her tray back behind the bar. Cisco grinned at her briefly and tilted his head towards the tip jar that had yet to be riffled through.

"Take your twenty percent tonight, Cait, you've earned it," he told her as he began wiping down the bar top. Caitlin smiled softly before grabbing her share and walked towards Cisco.

"I can't believe how busy tonight was," she exclaimed as she leaned against the bar top. She watched as the other waitresses began wandering up and taking their tip shares, too.

"I know, but you did well for your first night. Barry came and found me after that customer. Are you okay?" Cisco asked with concern swelling in his orbs. Caitlin thought back onto how the man had left her a little frightened but mainly annoyed and nodded her head.

"Yeah, he just wouldn't take no for an answer. However, it could have been a lot worse if Barry hadn't stepped in so for that I am grateful," she replied and Caitlin noticed a smirk tugging at his lips but didn't call him out on it; she wasn't sure she really wanted to know what it was about anyways.

"Thanks for always having my drinks ready first, by the way," she added with a laugh and Cisco merely shrugged his shoulders.

"I have no idea what you're talking about," he replied with a wink and Caitlin rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Do you need any help clearing up before I head on up for the night?" She asked as she hung around a bit more, waiting for Cisco to give her the all clear. He shook his head.

"No, but Barry and Joe are still here so if you want to hang out with us for a bit, I'm sure the guys would be happy to see you," he replied and Caitlin hesitated. Apart from Ben and Hartley, she had never hung out with another group of guys; Jay had never let her. However, she and Cisco had become fast friends and Barry seemed like a good guy. Plus Joe was a detective, how bad could it be? Cisco noticed her hesitation and commented on it.

"You know, I'm not going to force you tell me why you showed up to Central City all banged up but they're good guys. Would never make you feel uncomfortable," he promised earnestly and it was then and there that told Caitlin he had been more observant than she gave him credit for. She smiled softly and nodded her head.

"That sounds wonderful, let me go get changed into something more comfortable and I'll meet you back down here," she said before making her way up to her studio and changing. Once she was dressed more comfortably, she headed back down to the main floor and walked towards the three men who were seated around the now clean bar. Caitlin eased herself into a seat by Cisco and dipped her head towards the direction of the three men.

"Can I get you anything to drink, Cait?" Cisco asked and she nodded.

"A vodka and sprite would be lovely," she replied and he busied himself for a few moments with making her drink before sliding it over to her. Taking a much needed drink, her eyes sought out Barry who was laughing at something Joe said.

"Hey, Barry?" She called out timidly and he turned to look at her with an encouraging smile, prompting her to finish her train of thought.

"Thanks for helping out with that customer earlier," she said and he nodded his head.

"Of course!" His reply was filled with such sincerity, it caused Caitlin to smile gratefully before taking another sip of her drink. Joe's interested had been piqued and he joined the conversation.

"Some customer get a little rough with you?" He asked concernedly and Caitlin shrugged.

"Just seemed pretty adamant on getting me to have a drink with him," she replied softly, tucking some loose strands of hair behind her ear. Luckily, it wasn't on the side where the finger marks were and neither Joe nor Barry stared at her for too long, trying to figure out what happened.

"So, besides that encounter, how was your first night on the job?" Barry asked.

"Pretty good, not too much to complain about. Everyone was pretty nice and the drink orders were pretty easy to remember," she remarked.

"Plus, Cisco is an amazing bartender and always had my drinks ready to go the minute I asked him so that made it a lot easier," she added with a laugh and all the three men returned her smile.

"Yeah, if Cisco decides he wants to be friends with someone, he'll always help them out first," Barry acknowledged and Caitlin bobbed her head in agreement.

"I've noticed," she laughed.

The conversation turned to their jobs and Caitlin was amazed to find out Cisco and Barry worked the same job.

"Wait, you two are scientists at the Star Labs?" She questioned disbelievingly. She had always heard of Star Labs and knew all about the Particle Accelerator but had thought she'd never meet anyone who worked there. She had been envious of being so far away from the city when it happened, wanting to get firsthand experience with all of the people who had been affected. Jay didn't seem to care too much about it and never let her talk about it when it was brought up. She looked curiously at Barry.

"What do you do at Star Labs, exactly?" She asked with interest. She noticed the way the three men glanced at each other a little uneasily and immediately backtracked, feeling knots coil in her stomach for the second time that night.

"Y-you don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she murmured, a little uncomfortable at the idea of meddling in things that weren't her business in the first place.

"No, it's okay. I work with a few people, helping to bring in some rogue meta humans. I mainly work at the precinct though; I'm a forensic scientist," he replied casually and Caitlin knew not to push any further, even though it seemed like he wasn't being completely honest.

"What do you do? I mean, have you always been a waitress?" Barry changed the subject and Caitlin let him.

"I was a doctor for a while but had to quit before I moved here," she mumbled, still disappointed about Jay making her quit her passion. Cisco looked at her curiously and she knew that he was confused as to why she quit her job but didn't per sue the topic anymore and she was grateful; she really didn't feel like dragging Jay into the conversation, not when she hadn't thought about him since her encounter with the man at the club.

Cisco glanced at his watch. "Well, it's gotten late and I hate to end this wonderful conversation, but I need to head out. Want me to walk you up to your apartment, Cait?" He asked and Caitlin shook her head.

"I'll be fine," she replied.

"Yeah, that wasn't actually a question," Cisco clarified. He drained the last of his drink before looking at Joe and Barry.

"I'll be right down and then the three of us can head out," he stated before leading the way towards Caitlin's studio. Once they got there, he looked at her briefly.

"I'm not stupid enough to think I know why you came here or that you're going to even want to talk about it, but we've gotten fairly close over the last few weeks, so if you do need to talk about anything, I'm here for you," he said and Caitlin stared at him for a moment before nodding her head slowly.

"Thanks, Cisco," she murmured. He went to kiss her on the cheek but stopped himself when he saw her flinch. He looked at her before squeezing her shoulder briefly.

"Like I said, I'm here for you," he added before leaving her for the night.

Caitlin sighed. Was she ever going to stop being afraid of the men in her life? With that thought, she too retired for the evening, tired from the day's events.


	9. Chapter 9

" _What is this?" Jay demanded as he stared down at the plate Caitlin put in front of him._

" _Its hamburgers, like you asked," she responded softly. She watched as he lifted the bun and examined the meat for a moment before pushing it off the table disgustedly._

" _If I wanted a piece of charcoal, I would have asked Santa for one in my stocking, you useless girl!" He snapped and Caitlin flinched._

" _I d-didn't mean to b-burn them," she murmured. Her hands were shaking as she picked up the food and plate off the floor, "I'll make you a new one," she promised._

" _I don't want a new one. I want you to follow my orders correctly the first time," he spat out as he stood up abruptly, knocking his chair over in the process. Before she even had time to blink, he had roughly grabbed Caitlin from where she was bent down, picking up the items, and slammed her against the kitchen counter. She felt the corner of the counter dig painfully into her back and knew she'd have a bruise there._

" _Jay, I-I'm sorry!" She tried but he merely squeezed her chin, forcing her words to be cut short._

" _I don't want to hear your pathetic apologies, I want you to listen to me the first time," he growled and flung her down the floor. Her hand got sliced by a piece of the plate that had been broken from when Jay threw it and she gasped as warm blood dripped out of the cut. She didn't have time to register the pain as Jay stomped down on her hand and she literally felt a couple of the bones in her fingers snap._

" _No. No, stop! Please, stop! Stop!"_

"Caitlin? Caitlin, open the door!" Caitlin was wrenched out of her nightmare by the sound of a fist pounding on her door and she took a shaky breath as she glanced around. She was back in her apartment, far away from Jay and Cisco was very much attempting to break down her door by the sound of it. Sighing, she swung her legs over the side of her bed and eased up as much as her ribs let her. Throwing her robe on over her pants and tank top she went to bed in, she made her way towards her door before unlocking the two deadbolts she had installed.

"Hi Cisco," she remarked and he looked like he was ready to come running in and attack anyone who was causing her to scream like that.

"Caitlin, what the _hell_?" He questioned as he peeked over her shoulder into the room. She held the door open wider for him and granted him entrance. As soon as he walked in, she shut the door quickly and locked it, heart still beating madly from the dream.

"What are you doing here so early, Cisco?" Caitlin asked as she perched herself on the edge of her bed.

"I think the more important question is, why were you screaming like that?" He demanded and Caitlin sighed.

"It was a nightmare," she hedged, hoping to keep as many secrets as she could.

"One hell of a nightmare," Cisco agreed and shook his head.

"I thought I was going to have to fight someone," he added with a slight chuckle before taking in her appearance more closely, eyes zeroing in on the bags underneath her eyes.

"God, how much sleep have you actually gotten?" He challenged and Caitlin knew better than to lie.

"About two hours a night, before the nightmares start," she mumbled dejectedly.

"What are you running from Caitlin? Or who is the better word," Cisco amended and Caitlin sighed. She hadn't fooled him for one second. She bit her lip, not sure how to proceed.

"My husband," she finally admitted when she couldn't see any other way around it. She knew that she would have to tread the topic lightly and not give away too much information.

"What did he do to you?" Cisco, who had gone pale, whispered.

Caitlin shrugged her shoulders and smiled tightly.

"Nothing worth mentioning," she replied. "Honestly, its fine," she carried on when it looked like Cisco was about to interrupt her.

"He just couldn't always control his temper," she said and left it at that.

The fierce look in her eye told Cisco not to question her any further. He nodded.

"Well, I brought coffee. Figured we could have some before we have to get ready for the day," he said and Caitlin smiled gratefully.

"I'd like that," she replied earnestly.

"Just let me get dressed and I'll meet you down there," she added and watched as Cisco unlocked her door and left with a swift nod of his head.

She knew she'd have to be more careful now that she found out Cisco liked to arrive at the club early.

Sighing, she got ready for the day, questioning how much longer her life was going to be this exhausting.

Author's note: Hello all! Thanks for those of you who are following the story and reviewing, warms my heart! Couple of things:

Yes, meta humans do exist in my story but I don't have Caitlin working at Star Labs. I wanted her to be completely non-existent in that world for the first part of the story. I'm slowly going to build her up to joining in time.

Secondly, I've had a lot of free time this weekend so chapters came out at a bit faster pace. (I started writing this story several months ago, so a lot of the chapters were already written). However, they're going to be slowing down after tomorrow. I've got a busy week ahead of me. Hope you understand.

That's all for now and hope those who are reading, continue to enjoy it and to any newcomers, welcome!

XOXO


	10. Chapter 10

When Caitlin finally made her way down to the club ten minutes later, she found Cisco sitting at the bar with two cups of coffee and a couple of bagels. She smiled softly and walked towards him.

"Thanks Cisco," she murmured as she took a seat next to him. She took a much needed sip of the coffee, smiling as it hit her tongue.

"This is just what I needed," she hummed before taking another sip. Cisco laughed at her reaction.

"Glad to be of service," he agreed before taking his own sip. The two friends drank their coffee in a peaceful silence, relishing in the stillness of the club.

A few minutes later, Cisco ended their comfortable silence.

"Barry says hello, by the way," he dropped in casually and Caitlin furrowed her brow.

"That was nice of him, tell him I say hello back," she replied uncertainly, unsure of why that sentence alone caused her heart to beat pleasantly inside her chest.

"You can tell him yourself, he'll be here tonight," Cisco confirmed with a sly smile and Caitlin didn't take the bait. If she didn't know better, she'd think Cisco was trying to set them up. She was far from ready for that, however. Jay had left too many cracks in her heart and scars on her soul.

As if sensing her thoughts were leading her astray, Cisco cleared his throat.

"So, you want to tell me more about that dream?" He asked gently and Caitlin sighed, knowing that it was probably for the best if she was honest with him. She didn't want to get any triggers one night while working and not have anyone help her.

"If I tell you, Cisco, you cannot tell anyone else. The only people who know are Oliver and my best friend from home," she replied.

"You have a best friend back home? Tell him that he better watch out considering you have a best friend here now," Cisco joked and Caitlin laughed.

"Oh Cisco, I love you," she said fondly before regaining her solemn appearance.

"Jay, as in my husband, doesn't always control his temper. To put it in a more serious light, he's landed me in the hospital about three times now," she whispered and smiled gratefully when Cisco squeezed her hand gently.

"This last round in the hospital required Oliver to come and visit. Hartley, my friend from home, called him in as a "reinforcement" and Oliver decided he had had enough of seeing Jay hurt me. They got me discharged and, despite a few protests from me, had me come here. It was the safest plan of action," Caitlin finished. Cisco sighed deeply.

"I knew there was a reason you were here but I didn't think anything like this. Now that I think about it, however, I should've realized. You flinch literally anytime I or any other guy touches you. There's also the finger prints on your neck that were demanding so much attention," he replied.

"God, Cait, I'm so sorry," he added with a whisper and Caitlin felt her heart constrict painfully inside her chest. It was one thing to let Hartley and Oliver in on the secret of her turbulent marriage; it was a whole other thing to let Cisco in on it. She sighed.

"Thanks, Cisco. I'm serious however, you cannot tell anybody. Jay doesn't know where I am. I cannot risk the fact that he might find me," she replied with a slight tremble in her voice and Cisco ran his hand soothingly down her forearm. For once it didn't make Caitlin jerk back in fear, something Cisco picked up on.

"Progress," he smiled encouragingly and Caitlin dipped her head in acknowledgement.

"I promise, Cait. I won't tell anyone what you told me. I'll just make sure you're not hassled on the nights you work and I'll also make sure you're not overcrowded by the other waitresses. They all fawn over Oliver and are excited to meet another member of his family," he added with an eye roll and Caitlin chuckled.

"Oh yes, Oliver is quite the charmer," she agreed lightly, glad for the change of topic. She knew that Cisco was being honest when he said that no one else would find out and that made her happier than she could express, particularly since Joe was a detective and would probably want to make her marriage into some sort of case. She just wasn't able to cope with that at the moment.

The two friends finished their coffees in silence, reveling in the fact that the club was not busy yet. Caitlin knew that'd change by tonight but for now, she enjoyed the peace.

A short while later, Cisco tossed their empty cups in the trash and smiled at Caitlin.

"Do you think you're up for spending the day with one more other person?" He asked curiously and Caitlin tilted her head to the side in question.

"Barry is off from both of his jobs today and he asked me to put in a good word to convince you to hang out with us today," he clarified.

Caitlin hesitated, unsure if she was ready to spend an entire day with two men she had just recently met. Yes, she and Cisco had grown close quite fast but she wasn't sure of how she felt about spending the day with Barry. Cisco picked up on her hesitation immediately.

"I get if that makes you frightened, Cait, but honestly it'll be fine," he assured her. "Barry is a great guy and is just looking for the opportunity to get to know you more," he added with a smile.

Caitlin thought it over briefly before nodding her head.

"That sounds wonderful," she agreed, knowing that she had to stop being afraid at some point. Jay wasn't going to take anything else away from her, let alone her comfortableness with people. He had already taken so much away from her to begin with.

Cisco smiled in return.

"Great, I'll call him and let him know we are on our way. We figured we'd meet at a coffee shop called Jitters and then the two of us could just hang out with you until your shift tonight. Well, my shift too," he amended with a chuckle. Caitlin nodded her head.

"Sounds like a plan," she responded with a smile, eager to get the day started.

 **Author's note:** Just a short chapter for Cisco and Caitlin. More of an insight into their newly founded friendship and how protective Cisco can be. Barry will be back in the next chapter.

XOXO


	11. Chapter 11

"You ready for this Caitlin?" Cisco's voice pulled her out of her thoughts and Caitlin looked at him.

"As I'll ever be," she murmured before smiling slightly and walked into Jitters. The pair spotted Barry and quickly made their way over to him.

"Hey, Barry," Cisco called out as soon as they were within five feet of him. Barry turned his attention to them and a smile took over his face.

"Hey Cisco, Caitlin!" He replied and stood up. Caitlin smiled as she reached him and sat down, wincing as her ribs protested the movement. Cisco narrowed his eyes but didn't' say anything.

"What can I get you?" Barry asked and Caitlin furrowed her brow.

"What's good here?" She asked and Cisco intervened.

"You have to try a Flash!" He enthused.

"What's a Flash?" Caitlin repeated, at a complete loss. She didn't fail to notice the way Barry's cheeks were tinted red and bit her lip.

"Some would call him an urban leg-OW!" Cisco jumped as Caitlin heard something make contact with him underneath the table. By the looks of it, Barry seemed to have kicked him in the shin.

Confused, but knowing better than to ask, Caitlin nodded her head.

"As long as it has a high dose of caffeine, I'm in," she confirmed with a chuckle. Barry nodded his head.

"Great, be right back," he replied before walking off towards the counter. Caitlin followed him with her eyes and noticed him talking to a pretty girl at the counter.

"That's Iris, Barry's best friend. Completely platonic feelings on both sides; she's like his sister," Cisco clarified.

"You'll notice I didn't ask Cisco," Caitlin commented dryly. Cisco chuckled.

"I heard the unspoken question, young one," he remarked cheerfully and Caitlin rolled her eyes. She smiled a bit when Barry headed back over with Iris in tow.

"Hi!" The girl called out brightly and Caitlin nodded her head in hello herself.

"I hear you're working at Verdant 2.0 for Oliver?" Iris asked as she sat down next to Barry and slid Caitlin's cup of coffee towards her.

"Yeah, he's my cousin," she mentioned before taking a sip.

"Is he always that good looking?" Iris giggled and Barry raised his eyebrows.

"Iris, you're literally getting married to Eddie in three weeks," he reminded her.

"Eddie? The guy who was having the bachelor party at Verdant?" Caitlin asked and Cisco nodded his head.

"That's the one. He finally asked Iris for her hand in marriage," Cisco replied.

"Congratulations!" Caitlin squealed, hoping that Iris's marriage would go better than her own.

"What about you, Caitlin? Any men on the horizon?" Iris asked and Caitlin felt her pulse quicken. Cisco intervened.

"Caitlin here is focusing on her job. And being an amazing best friend to me," he added with a laugh.

Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly. "Don't let Hartley hear you say that."

"Who's Hartley?" Barry asked curiously.

"My friend from home," Caitlin said.

"Yes! Victory! You didn't say 'my best friend from home'." Cisco pumped the air with his fist and Caitlin could only shake her head at his childish antics.

"Whatever you say, Mr. Ramon," Caitlin laughed lightly. Cisco winked at her in return.

Barry laughed at the pair before glancing at his watch.

"Iris, I hate to do this but your break is almost over and I was going to see if Caitlin and this loser," nodding his head in Cisco's direction, "wanted to hang out with me before both of their shifts started," he said. Iris nodded her head and kissed Barry on the cheek.

"Of course. Eddie is picking me up after my shift ends anyway. We're going to our dance lesson for the wedding," she replied. Cisco chuckled.

"I still don't know how you got "Mr. I have two left feet" to agree to wedding dances with you," he said and Iris smiled.

"Please, that man loves me. He'll agree to anything I say," she laughed.

"And I believe that's what you call a healthy relationship," Barry joked. Caitlin found herself completely at ease in this setting, not once thinking about Jay. Cisco seemed to pick up on her comfort and squeezed her knee encouragingly under the table. They quickly finished their drinks and left once Iris went back to her shift. Once outside, Barry and Cisco situated themselves so Caitlin was in the middle of them. Feeling embolden, she looped both of her arms through theirs' as the three made their way down the street.

"So, what exactly is there to do in this city besides drink coffee and work at what is probably the most popular night club?" Caitlin asked curiously.

"Well, a little bit of everything," Barry replied and Cisco hummed in agreement. Caitlin nodded her head, lost in thought. She'd have to go sightseeing one afternoon that she had off and was wondering if she could convince Barry or Cisco to go with her when she felt someone accidentally push into her shoulder.

If it was anyone else, it probably wouldn't have triggered them. But, it was Caitlin. Immediately she felt her entire body stiffen, something the two guys noticed as they felt her arms lock upon contact. She closed her eyes and started breathing deeply, immediately being transported back to the times Jay would shove her around for the hell of it.

"Oh god, oh god," she muttered underneath her breath as she felt her heartrate increase.

"Cait?" Cisco stilled his body and she felt relief register somewhere inside of her brain but was too far lost in the beginning of a panic attack to acknowledge him.

Whoever had bumped into her had clearly moved on but she was still stuck in the trenches of anxiety and knew she would have a hard time getting herself out.

"Cisco, what's going on?" She heard Barry whisper but again she couldn't acknowledge him as her heartrate steadily climbed up faster.

"Now's not the time to ask questions, Barry," Cisco warned and Caitlin felt grateful for him as her panic still increased. She recognized Cisco unlooping their arms and placing his hands on her shoulders as much as he dared.

"You're safe, Cait. I'm here and so is Barry. Nothing's going to happen to you, I promise," he spoke to her in a gentle and soothing voice and Caitlin focused her wide eyes on him as she listened to him.

She was safe with Cisco and Barry, nothing was going to happen to her. She repeated that statement in her mind like a mantra before her heartrate slowly started to climb back down. She blinked a few times before breathing deeply.

"Thanks, Cisco," she muttered as a rosy blush painted her cheeks. She felt stupid and knew Barry was curious as to what the hell just happened but she honestly couldn't bring herself to tell him. Sighing, she unwound her other arm from Barry before glancing at both men.

"I-I think I should probably go," she murmured, embarrassed. Cisco shook his head fiercely.

"No, I think you should stay with us until you're a little more at peace," he replied and Barry nodded his head.

"Look, I don't know what that was about nor am I going to pretend like I know but I agree with Cisco. No one should be on their own after having a panic attack, no matter how small," he confirmed and Caitlin bit her lip. Part of her wanted to tell Barry about Jay, especially if they were going to be spending some time together but something still held her back. It was bad enough that Cisco already knew; she needed to keep some of her life a secret. Sighing, she nodded her head.

"I just really don't like when people touch me," she left it at that and Barry nodded his head.

"Understandable," he agreed with a soft smile.

"Now c'mon, how about we meander our way through the city for the next couple of hours before I drop you both off at Verdant?" He asked with an encouraging smile and Caitlin reciprocated it.

"That sounds like a good idea," she hummed, the encounter already being forgotten.


	12. Chapter 12

After the day Caitlin had her panic attack, things seemed to ease up some. She fell into a pretty easy routine of work and seeing her friends. She had gotten the hang of how to be a decent cocktail waitress and Cisco never shied from making her drinks before anybody else's. The two had definitely become quite the friends and when he wasn't busy at Star Labs, they spent all of their free time together, Barry sometimes joining them. Caitlin wouldn't change one thing about her current life, knowing that it was already leaps and bounds better than her previous life.

As Caitlin got ready for her shift that night, her phone trilled and she made her way over to it, looking at it quickly before smiling.

She swiped to answer the call with a laugh.

"Hey stranger, I was beginning to think you'd forgotten all about me," she chastised.

"And forget about the only woman in my life? You know me better than that, Cait," Hartley's laughter filled her ears and she felt warmth bubble up inside of her as she smiled fondly.

"Hartley!" She squealed as she laid down on her bed, resting her hand lightly on her still battered ribs.

"Hey there, Cait," he replied and she could hear the smile in his voice.

"How have you been?" She asked curiously, already missing his voice even though she was talking to him.

"Good, Ben and I miss you, though," he reassured her and she smiled.

"I miss you guys, too," she murmured. She did. It was hard for her to have to start over. However, she knew she was lucky to make friends as fast as she did. Jay had taken away all of her friends besides Hartley and Ben, who were both pigheaded and stubborn and refused to allow her to eliminate them from her life, for which she was truly grateful.

"How's everything going?" Hartley asked.

"Pretty good, the waitressing is a lot easier than I thought it would be and I've already made a couple of friends," she replied. She would never be able to express how thankful she was for Cisco, who stuck to her like glue and made sure every shift she worked was as easy as possible, interfering when customers got a little demanding.

"I'm so glad to hear it, Cait," Hartley said earnestly and she knew he was telling her the truth. He'd never begrudge her making new friends, not when Jay made it his life's mission to take away all the ones she had to begin with.

"How's Oliver doing?" He asked and Caitlin smiled.

"Good. He and Felicity will be at the club tonight since its Saturday night and it'll be good to see him. You'd think with the amount of times we've seen each other recently it's as if we never lost touch with each other," she responded with a laugh which Hartley mirrored.

"That's good to hear, I know he was feeling guilty about Jay dictating your relationship with him," Hartley agreed and Caitlin nodded her head, even though she knew he couldn't see her.

"Yeah, it's been a really big blessing to have Ollie back in my life. He's made this move as smooth as possible. Well, him and Cisco," she corrected.

"Who's Cisco and should I be jealous?" Hartley deadpanned and Caitlin rolled her eyes fondly.

"He's one of my new friends I told you about, you goof. And you should," she added. "He's pretty determined to claim me as his best friend, doesn't think you can compare."

Hartley scoffed. "Please, he can try."

Caitlin smirked.

"Easy Hartley, green doesn't look good on you," she goaded him and he just laughed in response.

"Well, I hate to cut this heartwarming reunion short but I have to go, I'm about to meet Ben for dinner," Hartley said and Caitlin smiled.

"Send him my love and enjoy yourselves, you deserve it," she replied before getting off the phone. She sighed happily, not realizing how much she needed to hear Hartley's voice and how much she had been missing it. It had been far too long since she had heard from him and she knew she would have to make more of an effort to stay in contact with him now that they lived so far away from each other.

Standing up, Caitlin placed a gentle hand against her ribs as they protested the sudden movement. She knew that her ribs would be the last things to heal completely, knew that they would still be tender, but it grew tiresome to have to be gentle with them each day. Cisco had finally cornered her after one particularly draining shift after seeing her crouched behind the bar, rubbing them gently, and demanded to be told what was going on. Of course, she explained that she had one final injury she was dealing with and he had made it his goal to make sure no one jostled her around or irritated her ribs. She knew that he, like her, wanted her job to go as smoothly as possible and she was forever grateful.

After the pain subsided, Caitlin proceeded to get ready for the night before heading out of her apartment, double checking that she locked the doors before heading down to the club.

Once getting onto the main floor, she made her way to the bar where she already spotted Barry.

"Little eager for the night to get started, Barry?" Caitlin teased as she went around to the other side and picked up her tray. Barry laughed.

"Just looking forward to spending a night with my two friends," he said casually and Caitlin hummed. Two weeks ago she wouldn't have believed her and Barry would consider the other a friend but the forensic scientist had wormed his way into her life and she wouldn't change a single thing about it.

"Are Iris and Eddie going to be joining you?" She asked as she situated her tray over her shoulder, getting ready to start her shift. Before he could reply, her phone rang. Pulling it out of her pocket, she frowned at it, not recognizing the number.

"Excuse me," she said to Barry and Cisco before making her way away from them and towards a quiet corner.

Once there, she answered the call.

"Hello?"

"Where the hell are you?" Fear dripped into her stomach and settled there uncomfortably as her heart squeezed at that voice.

"Jay?" She whispered.

 **Author's note:** Ah, you guys! 12 chapters. This story is my baby and I love it very much. I might post a couple more chapters today, and throughout the week but I've just been having the urge to write a lot this weekend. Hope you all enjoy!


	13. Chapter 13

"Where. Are. You. Caitlin." Jay growled out and Caitlin felt as if each breath she took would be her last. Her nerves were completely shot and she wasn't even in the same room as Jay.

"J-Jay, what do you want?" She whispered brokenly.

"To know where you are," he snapped and Caitlin trembled. She knew that he could very well find out where she was but that didn't mean she had to tell him. In fact, she refused to tell him.

"I'm somewhere safe, Jay," she willed her knees to stop trembling and for her voice to sound a lot calmer than she felt. It was amazing, really, how much fear Jay could invoke during a simple phone conversation. She bit down on her lip as she glanced up and spotted Cisco and Barry watching her in concern. She waved them off before turning her back on them again.

"You know better than to talk back to me Caitlin," Jay warned and Caitlin felt a vindictive pleasure at making him annoyed. Gone were the days where she crumbled to her feet in front of him, begging him for mercy.

"That's your problem, isn't it?" She challenged before hanging up and blocking the number so he couldn't call her again. Sighing, she made her way back over to Cisco and Barry who were staring at her.

"Everything alright, Caitlin?" Barry asked quietly, noticing the small tremors that wracked her body every so often. She sighed and nodded her head.

"Just heard from someone I hadn't heard from in a while but I don't think I'll be hearing from them again," she replied. "Well, at least I hope not," she amended quietly.

Barry had enough sense to not push her and just placed his hand between her shoulder blades and rubbed comfortingly.

"Let me know if they don't leave you alone," he stated and she nodded her head.

Cisco stared at her for a moment before turning abruptly to Barry.

"Barry, can you give us a moment while I run over tonight's dynamics with Cait, here?" He asked and Barry nodded his head.

"Sure, I said I'd meet Iris and Eddie out front anyways," he agreed lightly before walking off. Caitlin bit her lip as she turned to Cisco.

"Was that your husband?" He demanded and Caitlin blinked back the frustrated tears that threatened to unleash.

"How did you know?" She whispered and Cisco squeezed her hand.

"Because your back went ramrod straight and I could literally see the tension rolling off you in waves," he replied. Caitlin shook her head as she roughly wiped away a few tears that leaked out.

"He wasn't supposed to find me. I don't even know the number he called from," she said desperately.

"Why don't you take the night off and talk to Oliver?" Cisco encouraged and Caitlin nodded her head.

"You sure you're going to be okay one waitress short?" She asked and Cisco chuckled.

"While you're definitely the best waitress we've ever seen, Verdant 2.0 did survive before you came along so I think we can manage one night without you. Besides, it'd be unfair to not talk to Oliver about this," Cisco reminded her gently and Caitlin sighed. He was right, of course he was right. She just knew how angry Oliver was going to be. Seeing no other way around this, she nodded her head and placed her tray back underneath the bar. Locking eyes with Oliver as he walked in, Caitlin squared her shoulders and headed his way.

"Hey, Ollie," she called out softly. He smiled brightly at her as he gave her a one armed hug, careful to not disturb her ribs.

"Snowy," he replied happily and Caitlin smiled. It was nice that despite the distance between them, the two cousins were still as close as they could be, something that had increased since she moved to Central City.

"Uh, can we talk for a minute?" She asked and Oliver caught onto her troubling tone immediately and quickly nodded his head.

"Sure, just let me get Felicity settled and you and I will go out back and talk," he agreed before heading over to the bubbly blonde. Caitlin waited patiently as they talked about some of their plans for the club for the night before Felicity waved him off and he made his way back to her.

Inhaling deeply, she jerked her head towards the back door and he followed her, knowing that whatever she needed to talk about had to be important.

Once outside, he leaned against the railing that led to a short flight of stairs off to the side of the club and she followed suit.

"So?" He prompted gently and Caitlin bit her lip.

"Jay called me," she started haltingly and Oliver hissed.

"He what?" He demanded in a harsh whisper and Caitlin dropped her eyes.

"He called me," she repeated glumly. She knew that Oliver wasn't happy by the way his fingers danced impatiently against the railing before stilling.

"What did he want?" He asked.

"To know where I am. Obviously I didn't tell him but he seemed pretty determined to find out where I am and I-I'm scared," she confessed softly. Oliver pulled her into another hug, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

"Nothing bad is going to happen to you, Snowy," he assured and Caitlin closed her eyes.

"You can't promise me that, Ollie," she whispered and felt him sigh.

"Well, I can and I will," he argued and Caitlin knew better than to fight back, not when her tension was already sky high and she could say something she'd regret. She simply nodded her head.

"Okay, if you're certain," she replied and she felt him squeeze her shoulder momentarily.

"C'mon, let's get back inside. Get you a drink. I'm assuming Cisco gave you the night off?" He questioned and Caitlin nodded her head.

"Yeah, he's the one who told me to talk to you in the first place," she remarked and laughed when Oliver flashed her a grin.

"Knew I always liked him," he stated. Caitlin just rolled her eyes in response as the two made their way back into the club.

Once inside, Oliver directed her to where Barry and the others, minus Cisco, were sitting. Smiling softly at them, she eased herself into the booth.

"What can I get you, Snowy? Vodka and sprite?" Oliver and Caitlin shook her head.

"Whiskey, straight," she declared and Oliver raised an eyebrow at her but went and fetched her drink nonetheless. Caitlin caught Barry looking at her inquisitively and knew why. Not once, in the couple of months that they had known each other, had she ever ordered whiskey. Shrugging her shoulders, she smiled gratefully at Oliver has he placed it in front of her and took a sip.

After mingling for a bit, Iris and Eddie got out of the booth and went and danced. It wasn't too much later that Felicity dragged Oliver out after them and Caitlin found herself sitting alone with Barry.

Taking another much needed sip, Caitlin smiled hesitantly at him and he returned the grin.

"You want to talk about it?" He asked quietly and Caitlin blinked at him.

"Talk about what?" She questioned.

"Whatever got you rattled enough to make you order a whiskey straight," Barry clarified and Caitlin knew that he had seen through her act of nonchalance. Sighing, she deliberated her options.

Tell him and have one more person in on her screwed up life. Not tell him and risk pushing a close friend away.

"Yes, we can talk about it. But let's go outside," she pleaded and he nodded his head. She drained the last of her drink before easing herself out of the booth and making her way outside, Barry following behind her with a light hand on her lower back. It spoke volumes about how much she had improved since she got here by not throwing his hand off. Instead, she took it in her stride and just continued making her way out.

Once outside, Caitlin leaned on the same railing Oliver had done earlier and looked at Barry. Sighing, she began talking.

"My husband, Jay, isn't the nicest of men," she started and she saw Barry's eyes narrow.

"He likes to push me around for the hell of it, landing me in the hospital three times now," she clarified and knew just how angry Barry was by the way his fist clenched at his side.

"He did what?" He questioned in a dark whisper and Caitlin shrugged.

"Nothing I couldn't handle until I couldn't handle it. Then Ollie intervened and, long story short, now I'm here," she replied.

"God, Cait, I am so sorry," Barry mumbled and Caitlin shook her head.

"Its fine Barry, I'm away from him, that's all that matters," she reinforced.

"Was that who called you earlier?" Barry demanded and Caitlin nodded.

"It was."

"And what did he want?" Barry asked in an infuriated whisper.

"To know where I was," Caitlin sighed.

"He'll never touch you again," Barry vehemently promised and it was there and then that Caitlin felt something shift inside their friendship. A warm feeling fluttered around her chest for a moment before wrapping itself around her heart and nestled there. It was a pleasant reaction.

She smiled slightly. "Thanks, Barry."

"Is that why you always rub your ribs?" He questioned and Caitlin looked at him surprise.

"You noticed that?" She asked.

"Caitlin, if I didn't notice that, I'd have to question my status as forensic scientist," he replied and Caitlin laughed slightly, despite the situation they found themselves in.

"Yes, that's why I rub my ribs. This last round of anger caused him to break three of mine," she replied softly.

"Can-can I see?" He murmured and Caitlin thought about it briefly before lifting up her shirt, exposing the angry flesh.

He traced his fingers lightly over the bruises, careful to be as tender as possible, and looked back up at her with pain deep inside of his eyes.

"I'm so sorry, Cait, so sorry," he whispered and Caitlin knew the pain he was feeling. It was a pain he shared with Hartley.

"It's okay, Barry, I'm away from him. He cannot hurt me anymore," she replied.

"No, he'll never touch you again," Barry confirmed with conviction and Caitlin smiled.

Too bad she didn't put much faith in that promise.

 **Author's note** Hi guys! I got a question asking if Caitlin was going to have powers. Unfortunately, probably not in this story, since I didn't have her in direct correlation with Central City when the Particle Accelerator went off. However, I already have another idea for another snowbarry story that I'm thinking about writing and if I do, I'll definitely explore her having powers. I just wanted to keep her out of that life for this story. Especially with Jay. Thanks and hope you enjoyed the chapters so far!


	14. Chapter 14

It was a few days later that found Caitlin heading to the store during one of her shifts. Oddly enough, they had run out of vodka and Oliver didn't have anymore. Despite some useless protests from Cisco, Caitlin had said she'd be fine walking there to get some more. It was Central City, what could happen?

"Thanks and have a good night!" Caitlin called out as she left the store, her purchase held tightly in one hand, her purse in the other. She hesitated momentarily as she stepped out onto the dark street before shaking her head. She made it this far to get intimidated by a poorly lit street. Smiling slightly to herself, Caitlin headed on her way, keeping her eyes alert.

She made it about ten paces before the sound of a bottle breaking caught her attention. Jerking her head around, she noticed a group of men shouting drunkenly at each other. Taking a steadying breath, Caitlin kept moving forward, hoping not to draw too much attention to herself. No such luck.

"Hey sweetheart!" One of them called out to her. Heartrate picking up slightly, Caitlin ignored them as best as she could as she kept placing one foot in front of the other and making her way back to the club.

"I said something to you!" The man called out as he stalked his way towards her and Caitlin froze, fear making her rooted to the spot. She looked at him with fearful eyes.

"Hello," she murmured, wondering if there was any way to get around him.

"What's a pretty girl like you doing wandering these streets alone? It's not safe," the man leered at her as his friends circled around them, staring at her. Caitlin cringed, knowing exactly the way this could turn out if she was not careful.

"I'm actually on my way back," she muttered carefully, hoping they would get the hint and leave her alone.

"That's a fancy bottle you have, why don't we polish it off together?" The man drawled, seeing the top of her bottle peeking out of the bag. Caitlin wondered if she had time to yank out the bottle and crash it over the top of his head.

She was surprised at herself for remaining so calm, considering they were leering at her the way Jay would. She expected some form of flashbacks but she was keeping a level head and she couldn't be more grateful.

"How about you just let me get on my way?" She asked and tried to elbow her way past. It was then that the man grabbed her body, tugging her in close to his body with a fierce grip.

"Please!" Caitlin begged, knowing this man was having his fun with her.

"I don't think so, sweetheart," he replied before throwing her down on the ground, the bottle of vodka clattering down noisily before rolling away.

"I really think you should learn to have some respect for your superiors," the man growled before kicking her in the side and she recoiled, rolling into a protective ball.

"Take it easy man," one of his friends called out to him.

"Shut up, Reggie," he snapped as he bent down. "We're just having some fun."

Caitlin groaned in pan. He had kicked where her ribs had been impacted but she didn't think he had re-broken any of them, luckily.

"I really think you should listen to Reggie," another voice called out and the man paused, looking up. Caitlin followed his eyesight and noticed someone in some sort of costume, with a mask pulled up.

"Flash," the man stuttered out.

"Put her down, now," the other man growled out and he did just that.

"We don't want any trouble," the man said and Caitlin snorted as her heartrate returned to normal.

This other guy, (Flash, he had been called) laughed.

"And neither did she but that didn't stop you from harassing her," he replied.

It all happened too quickly to keep up with. One minute the guy and his buddies where surrounding Caitlin, the next the Flash had sped around them at an impossible rate, knocking them all out,

"W-what?" Caitlin gasped, staring down at each of the unconscious men around her.

"Are you okay?" The Flash asked and it was then that Caitlin noticed his voice was distorted.

"I-I'm fine," she replied uncertainly. And she was, she thought. No lasting damage done to her ribs. A little shaken up, but she would be fine.

"What are you doing on this side of town alone?" He demanded and Caitlin shrugged and looked around for her purchase, spotting it several feet away from her.

"Needed to get something for my job," she replied sheepishly.

He spotted it too and raced over to get it for her, picking it up and racing back to give it to her.

"You're one of those meta humans," she stated the obvious.

He chuckled. "Looks that way."

"But you only use your powers for good?" She clarified.

"Best thing to use them for," he responded.

Caitlin laughed weakly, the adrenalin she felt wearing off.

He seemed to notice. "Let me get you back to where you're headed."

She nodded her head gratefully as he carefully swung her in his arms before picking up her bottle of vodka and placing it gently in her lap.

"Hold on tight," he murmured and she wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, ignoring the way it made her ribs throb.

Then they were off, at a fast pace and she felt dizzy from it. She turned her head into his chest and prayed she wouldn't throw up on him at the very least.

He stopped right outside of the club and placed her down gently.

She stumbled slightly and he stilled her.

"Easy there," he said softly.

She smiled at him before jerking her head towards the club.

"I better get back in there," she replied and he nodded his head.

"No more wandering around on your own," he stated and she laughed.

"Deal," she promised and watched as he sent her a smile before speeding off. It was only then that she noticed she didn't tell him where she worked.

 **Author's note** : Hello all! Thanks for the lovely reviews! I just wanted to introduce the Flash a little bit since I've made it so far without introducing him. Don't worry, he'll definitely make more appearances now that I've brought him up. Thanks for all the kind words and reactions to this story, I really appreciate it!


	15. Chapter 15

"I knew it. I knew I shouldn't have let you go over there alone," Cisco grumbled after Caitlin finished telling him what happened.

"Cisco, relax, I was handling it before he even showed up," she soothed.

"Before who showed up?" Barry stepped up to the bar and Caitlin looked at him with a small smile.

"Caitlin here was saved by the Flash tonight," Cisco replied and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"I was handling it. He just came in at the last moment," she added causally and Cisco sighed.

"Caitlin, what were you going to do against four men, each of them twice your size?" He asked exasperatedly.

"Easy. I was getting ready to hit the main guy over the head with my vodka bottle and then go running down the street, screaming my head off," she shrugged casually.

"Do you have no care for your own safety?" Cisco challenged with round eyes and Caitlin laughed.

"Cisco, it's honestly fine. Stop fussing," she chided him gently, not too bothered by the fact that he seemed to have her wellbeing close to his heart.

"Why did the Flash have to save yo-I mean, help you?" Barry changed his sentence at the speed of light at the look on Caitlin's face and she laughed

"Apparently, I wasn't in the best part of town but that's fine. I've been through worse," she remarked and the two boys had enough sense to let it go.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, Cait," Barry replied earnestly and she smiled at him.

"Thanks."

"Well, now that your shift is over, how do you feel heading back to our table and having a few drinks with us before you have to head up?" Barry asked conversationally and Caitlin nodded.

"Sure," she enthused. She looked at Cisco but before she could even open her mouth, he was already mixing her drink.

"Since when do you have to ask me for your drink, Cait?" He asked with an eye roll and Caitlin laughed.

"Since never," she replied teasingly and he nodded.

"Now, here you go. Drink up, have fun, don't talk about the Flash too much and Barry, make sure our girl gets upstairs just fine tonight," Cisco hands off her drink and sends them on their way.

Once the pair make it to the table, Caitlin spots Iris and Eddie and smiles at them.

"Hey guys," she greeted them as she sat down and they returned her hello with one of their own.

"Hey, Cait!" Iris beamed at her. Eddie dipped his head in her direction as he downed his shot.

Iris cut her eyes over to Barry and they seemed to have an unspoken conversation because the next thing Caitlin was aware of was Iris dragging Eddie off to the dance floor, leaving them alone.

"I'd ask if you wanted to dance but I don't want your ribs to get hurt," Barry said and Caitlin smiled.

"I appreciate that Barry but trust me, you really don't want to see me dance," she laughed.

"Same," Barry muttered with a grin and faint blush that Caitlin found one hundred percent adorable.

Taking a sip of her drink, she looked at Barry curiously.

'Tell me something about yourself, Barry Allen," she asked and he looked at her surprised.

"What do you want to know?" He replied and she shrugged her shoulders.

"Anything."

"Well, when I was about three, I had this stuffed bear that went everywhere with me. He was my favorite thing in the world, apart from my parents. One night, my dad, mom and I were staying in a hotel, on the way to my grandfather's house and when we left the next morning, I realized, about halfway down the highway that I left my bear in the hotel. Of course everything erupted into chaos, what with me crying about it and my dad hurrying back to the hotel to find him. We did eventually but it was one of the scariest moments in my three years of life," he chuckled, cheeks still tinted red.

Caitlin laughed warmly. "What was your bear's name?"

"Einstein."

"Always fascinated with science, weren't you?" She asked softly and he nodded.

"It's the best," he agreed.

They left the conversation at that for a few moments, each wrapped up in their thoughts before he knocked his glass against hers' lightly.

"Your turn, Ms. Snow," he remarked with a twinkle in his eye and she smiled softly.

"When I was a young girl, my dad would allot an hour every Saturday morning for just the two of us. He'd have my favorite bowl of cereal ready and our favorite Saturday morning cartoons on, and we just have some time for us. My mother never joined us because she said she had more important things to do but I know the real reason; she wanted to give us that time together," she commented fondly, getting lost in her memories.

"My dad always said which cartoon you watched growing up would determine how you'd live your life which makes absolutely no sense to me now," she added with a light laugh.

"Absolutely no sense," Barry agreed amusedly.

"Your dad sounds like a cool guy," he remarked and Caitlin felt a lump rise in her throat.

"He was the best," she agreed and left it at that, not feeling like digging too much farther into her past.

Barry, bless him, had the decency to not push any further and she was grateful for that.

They finished their drinks in comfortable silence, before deciding to call it a night.

"C'mon, I'll walk you up," he told her and Caitlin accepted the hand he offered her. He led them through the club and up the stairs to her apartment, stopping just outside of the door.

"Well, this is where I leave you for the night," he stated and Caitlin nodded her head

"Looks that way," she acknowledged. She looked at him briefly before letting her eyes drop, a shy smile tugging at her lips.

So slowly, not even sure who was leaning in first, the two brushed their lips against each other's before pulling back, pink tinging their cheeks.

"Good night, Cait," Barry said before pressing a light kiss against the corner of her lips and she smiled as he left.

For the first time in a long time, she was at peace with her life.

Walking inside her apartment, she shut her door softly with a smile on her face.

"Hello Caitlin," a voice called out and her heart stopped.

Looking up she locked eyes with a monster.

"Jay."

 **Author's note:** Hope you all enjoy!


	16. Chapter 16

Caitlin felt fear lock her knees in place as she stared at Jay, trembling. She wasn't sure how he got in or what he wanted, but she knew it couldn't be good.

"Jay, what are you doing here?" And, was she ever proud that her voice was steady and strong.

Jay smirk.

"That's not important, sweetheart. What's important is that we are leaving," he drawled.

"I'm going absolutely nowhere with you," Caitlin stated firmly and she meant it. Gone were the days where she would bow to his every whim. She was no longer afraid of him and she would fight back.

"You know better than to talk back to me," he growled and Caitlin smiled in victory.

"And you know better than to stalk me," she replied.

Jay stood up from the chair he was seated in and crossed the room to her in a few short strides. Pushing her back against the door frame, he caged her in by bracketing his hands against either side of her head.

She willed herself to stay calm and collected and not show any fear.

"Well, looks like you've grown up, Cait," he commented and she raised an eyebrow at him.

"Or maybe I'm just done being afraid of you," she acknowledged.

It all happened so fast. One minute she was staring him down, the next she was being flung down onto the floor as his temper took over. He stomped down hard on her hand and she screamed out as she felt a few bones break.

"Dammit Caitlin, I wouldn't have to teach you a lesson if you just knew your place," Jay bit out.

Caitlin blinked back the pain as best as she could, refusing to give him the upper hand.

"Tell me, _dear_ , what my place is, exactly," she ground out through clenched teeth.

"You do exactly what I say, when I say it," Jay confirmed before kicking her hard in the ribs. She felt her body jerk at the contact and she rolled over into a protective ball, trying to shield her body from his assault.

"Yeah, that doesn't exactly work for me anymore," she replied as she tried to breathe through the pain. She knew by the excruciating pain she felt that Jay had re-broken her ribs and felt anger flare up inside of her. This man was truly a monster and she wasn't sure why she had never taken Hartley's advice and reported him to the police.

The next thing Caitlin was aware of was Jay stomping down hard on her wrist and she couldn't help it, she screamed out in pain.

She knew by the way her wrist was burning and the rapid swelling that he had also broken that and vaguely wondered how she was going to carry her tray now.

Breathing deeply, she stared at him with menacing eyes.

"Just answer me this, Jay, what did I ever do to you?" She asked.

Jay smirked. "It's more like, what didn't you do."

Caitlin rolled her eyes. "Fine, what didn't I do then?"

Jay laughed. "You never listened to me."

Caitlin knew better than to question that statement because no matter what she said, Jay wouldn't see reason. He was a mad man, and Caitlin knew that no matter what she said, she'd still lose.

Just then she heard rapid knocking on her door.

"Caitlin, Caitlin are you okay?" Barry's voice sounded through and Caitlin felt relief surge through her.

Before she could reply, Jay picked her up and placed his hand over her mouth tightly, forcing her to not reply.

"You're going to say you're fine, and we're going to wait for him to leave," he whispered and Caitlin nodded her head slowly.

He removed his hand but squeezed her broken wrist, hard, as he waited for her to reply.

Resisting the urge to scream out, she thought fast before replying.

"I'm fine, Allen," she said as calmly as she could muster.

"Are you sure?" Barry's voice sounded uncertain.

Praying that this would work, she inhaled shakily.

"Yes, Allen, everything's fine," she promised and Barry went silent.

"If you're sure," he replied finally before walking off.

Caitlin sighed deeply and Jay smirked.

"Clearly, he doesn't care about you," he taunted and Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"You know nothing about him," she bit out and Jay flung her down on the floor.

"I'm about to teach you a lesson and then we're going home," he snapped and for once, Caitlin felt afraid. Not at the bruises he could leave on her, nor the broken bones. No, she was afraid at the idea of going home with him. She didn't want to keep being afraid for the rest of her life.

Just as she was about to finally give in and beg, she felt Jay stomp down on her chest and she couldn't breathe.

As pinpricks of black clouded her vision, threatening to pull her under, her door banged open.

Forcing herself to keep her eyes open, she looked around and saw someone she didn't think she'd see again.

The Flash zoomed in and threw Jay off her as Cisco came running over towards her.

"Oh god, Cait, no," he muttered as he bent down next to her and placed his fingers against her pulse.

"Stay with me, okay?" He murmured as she blinked back the pain, focusing on his voice.

She glanced over at The Flash as he pounded relentlessly into Jay, and for the first time that night, she wasn't afraid for her safety any more.

"C-Cisco, you've got to get him to let up. He'll kill him," she groaned and Cisco pushed her sweaty hair off her forehead.

"Don't worry about that, Cait," he replied soothingly.

Caitlin shook her head.

"No, he deserves to spend the rest of his life in jail but not to be dead," she whispered.

Cisco saw the panic in her eyes and nodded his head briefly.

'Hey, Flash, stop," he shouted and surprisingly, he listened.

"Why? He hurt her," he hissed, momentarily looking up.

Cisco nodded his head.

"I know, and I'm as mad as you are but it doesn't need to end like this," he replied.

"We'll get him in jail," he added and the Flash looked back at Caitlin for a moment before looking down at the unconscious man. He nodded briefly before hooking his arms underneath his.

"Get her to the hospital. Now." He ordered and Cisco nodded his head. He left in a flurry of electricity then, leaving Caitlin and Cisco alone in the room.

All of Caitlin's pain came back full force and, no longer able to fight the pull, she fell forward into the blackness.


	17. Chapter 17

Caitlin came to with a gasp.

"Easy, Cait," a soothing voice called out and it helped to control her heartrate. Glancing around, she noticed Barry sitting next to her in a chair that was pulled as close to the bed as he could get it.

"I think I've seen enough hospitals to last me a lifetime," she muttered once she got her bearings and realized where she was.

Barry ran his thumb over her knuckles soothingly. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the deep bags underneath his eyes and how pale his skin was.

"God Barry, when's the last time you slept?" She scolded gently.

"Caitlin, don't you dare be concerned about me. Not for one second," he demanded and she dropped her eyes.

There was anger oozing out of his tone and she wasn't quite sure what had him so mad. She needn't ask though.

"You almost died," he whispered brokenly and it tugged at her heart strings.

"But I didn't," she reminded him softly, running her cast free hand through his hair soothingly. He caught it between both of his and dropped a kiss to her knuckles.

"Never again. Never again will that despicable excuse for a human being touch you," he vowed darkly and Caitlin felt a shiver run down her spine.

"Where is he?" She stuttered out, hoping against hope she wasn't about to hear news that would frighten her; she wasn't sure how much more she could handle right now.

"Prison. Joe booked him last night," Barry murmured and Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief.

It was over. It was finally over.

"Thank you," she replied sincerely and Barry smiled.

Caitlin looked down to where he was still holding her hand and bit her lip.

"Barry…what are we?" She whispered and he looked at her.

"We can be whatever you want," he replied firmly.

"Whether that's friends or something more, it's entirely up to you. I know you need time to heal and I just want you to know I'm going to be here every step of the way," he promised.

Caitlin thought about it. They had just met a few months ago and she knew she had felt an attraction to him the first night she met him, but refused to acknowledge it. Then when he promised that she would never again be hurt by Jay that just reinforced her feelings. Then the kiss also happened.

Not sure how to make sense of her inner thoughts, she glanced at Barry.

"I think, given some time, we can try to move past friendship. But you're right. I need to heal. This last round with Jay left even deeper scarring and I don't want to drag you into that mess," she muttered.

"Let's get one thing straight, Cait," Barry began softly but firmly, "You're not dragging me into anything. I'm pretty sure I've felt something for you since the night I met you."

He took a breath before plowing on. "Every day that we've spent together since has confirmed it. I like you, a lot, and want to be with you. But we are going to go at your pace and I am not going to pressure you into something or make you feel obligated in any way."

Caitlin mulled over his words for a moment before smiling.

"I think you are, without a doubt, the nicest guy I've ever met," she replied with a chuckle.

"Excuse me?" Caitlin's head snapped up and she smiled fondly as Cisco walked into her room with flowers.

"Who's the guy who brought you flowers, Cait?" He challenged as he dropped a kiss to her forehead before sitting in the chair on the other side of her bed.

"They're beautiful, thank you Cisco," she said warmly.

"How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Like I got my ass handed to me," she laughed and both men winced.

"It's a joke guys. I'm fine. A little banged up but nothing a little rest won't fix," she stated.

They both looked ready to argue but she silenced them with a steady look.

"We can go round in circles about how bad I must look or you both can accept the fact that I obviously accepted what happened and am ready to move forward. He's in prison, I doubt he'll get out, and I've got people in my life who care about me and are willing to help me heal. That's more than enough," she said and they dropped it.

She frowned when she realized who was missing. "Where's Ollie?"

Cisco laughed. "He's a little busy having a chat with your lovely soon to be ex-husband. I'm pretty sure he's threatening him behind a glass window as we speak."

Caitlin rolled her eyes and laughed. Trust her cousin to always want to get the last word in.

She looked at the two men with a smile as they continued to talk, feeling calm. Her life may not be great but it was no longer a nightmare and that was more than enough for her. She, for once, was looking forward to a better future.

 **Author's note** : Hope you all enjoy! I have another story I am going to start writing most likely tonight or tomorrow so be on the lookout for that. I'm thinking there's gonna be a couple more chapters for this one but its wrapping up. Thanks for all who read, favorited, and followed. It's really appreciated. And to the lovely reviewers, glad you guys liked it!


	18. Chapter 18

Caitlin found herself back at her apartment a couple of days later, with her wrist propped up on a pillow and Hartley shouting obscenities into her ear over the phone.

"I can't believe he found you!" He screamed and Caitlin sighed. She had convinced her friend to not come out there on the first plane he could catch but only just.

"Hartley, I'm fine," she soothed and he snorted disbelievingly.

"Cait, that monster re-broke your wrist, ribs, and bruised your sternum. You're far from fine," he replied angrily.

"Physically, you're right. I've got a long road of healing ahead of me. Emotionally? I'm rather happy with where I'm sitting at. He's in jail. This is a massive win in my book," she responded and she heard Hartley inhale.

"You're right; we should be grateful of our wins when we get them," he agreed with a sigh.

Just then a light knock sounded against her door and she looked up curiously.

"Hartley, someone's here. I've got to let you go," she said apologetically.

"I understand. I'll call you tomorrow to check in on you and take it easy these next few weeks," he said.

"Will do. Bye," she got off the phone as she eased herself from the couch and went to the door. Peering out of the peephole, she smiled as she opened it.

"Didn't get enough of me in the hospital?" She asked Barry as he stood sheepishly before her.

He shrugged his shoulders and rubbed his neck.

"I just came by to see how you were doing," he replied and she rolled her eyes fondly.

"The same as I was when you called an hour ago," she said with a chuckle. She enjoyed the way that his cheeks were painted a rosy red.

"Come on in," she murmured as she held the door open for him and he nodded his head gratefully as he walked in. As she was getting ready to go sit back down on her couch, something on the floor caught her eye and she looked at it. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that it was blood. Inhaling shakily, she tried not to let the flashbacks over take her but it was hard.

All she heard was Jay berating her and hitting her until she begged for mercy. Hitting her until bones snapped and blood seeped out of her. She stood rooted to her spot in fear, so overcome by the strong memories. It wasn't until she felt a hand landing gently on her shoulder did she snap out of the moment of fear with a gasp.

"Hey, easy, it's okay," Barry's voice soothed her and she looked at him with round eyes.

"Sorry," she whispered and he shook his head forcefully.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he said firmly. She bit her lip and looked back at the blood on the floor before shaking her head.

"Looks like I'll have to vacuum," she muttered with a frown.

"I'll do it," he offered and chuckled when Caitlin raised an eyebrow.

"Right, you don't like having that much help unless it's really needed," he backtracked and she nodded her head.

"But your arm is broken, you're in a sling, and your ribs are damaged. I think this qualifies as a time that you really need it," he added with a smirk and Caitlin sighed.

"Fine," she caved, "but later. Right now I just want to rest."

He bobbed his head. "Of course, rest sounds like a good idea. I'll leave you to it."

She frowned. "I was hoping you'd stay."

Barry looked at her and smiled softly.

"Don't have to ask me twice," he murmured and he led her over to the couch.

After sitting down first, he eased her onto his lap after she had taken off her sling. After some gentle adjustments, she was stretched out across him and he threw her throw blanket over them, letting her cuddle in close.

"Sleep well, Caitlin," were the last words she heard before she drifted off.

 _Caitlin ran as fast at her legs would carry her across their home, trying to get to her bathroom before Jay found her. It was the only place that had a lock on it. Her feet stumbled across their floor but she remained unaffected by that and continued to run._

" _Come back here you idiotic girl!" Jay's voice sounded out as he thundered after her. Heart beating at an impossibly fast rate, she prayed she'd make it there in time. Once the door got in her line of sight, she sighed in relief. Almost there. Just then she felt a shove between her shoulder blades and fell face first on the floor. Crying out, she turned over to see Jay grinning triumphantly._

" _Remember, dear, I know all of your tricks," he chuckled before yanking her to her feet and throwing her against the wall._

" _Jay, please stop! Please!" She cried as she felt her shoulder dislocate upon impact._

" _I'll stop as soon as you stop running from me. You need to know you're place. You belong to me," he snapped and Caitlin felt fear pool in her stomach. She was never going to get away from him. No matter how many times she ran, no matter how far she ran, he'd still find her._

" _Please, Jay, I'm begging you. Just end this," she whispered as her shoulder throbbed painfully._

" _Oh I will, but when I'm ready," he taunted her before punching her squarely in the jaw, the force making her black out._

Caitlin woke up with a gasp and sat straight up. She noticed Barry wrap his arm around her waist and try to ease her into a more relaxing position but she couldn't breathe; she felt suffocated.

"Let me go!" She screamed out as she tried to get free and his grip loosened significantly.

"Caitlin, I need you to relax, sweetheart," Barry murmured soothingly as she continued to thrash in his hold.

"Breathe, just breathe," he continued to whisper. She started to get her bearings back and looked at Barry.

"Oh god," she muttered.

"It's okay, just a dream," he promised. She nodded her head and looked down embarrassedly.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked softly and she shook her head.

"No, not really. It's just about the same thing that always happens anyways," she muttered and he nodded.

"Do you want me to leave?" He questioned and she thought about it. She didn't.

"No."

He nodded his head as eased her back down.

"Try to sleep some more," he whispered and she sighed.

"I don't think I can," she replied.

"Then we will just sit here, until you feel better," he stated and she nodded her head.

Once they were back to their original positions, she felt her body start to relax. Not completely, but it was less on edge as it was before. She didn't know how long it was going to take to get through days like this but, for her sake, she hoped it wouldn't be too long.


	19. Chapter 19

Weeks passed by and Caitlin's anxiety remained at bay. She was able to get herself to a healthy place again mentally with the help of her friends and Barry, who had proved himself to be a great source of strength. He never grew weary of her endless nightmares, never shied away from her when she would cry frustrated tears. He just stayed with her and his presence alone calmed her greatly.

"Where's everyone?" Caitlin asked Cisco one night when she noticed that not only Barry was absent from Verdant but Iris and Eddie, too.

"Iris is working on a post for her job, Eddie is at the precinct, and Barry is doing something for Star-his other job," Cisco amended and Caitlin narrowed her eyes.

"I've never pushed you and Barry to tell me what exactly you guys do for Star Labs but aren't we passed the evasiveness now?" She questioned.

Cisco was spared from answering her when his phone buzzed.

"Speaking of Barry, let me reply to his text really quick," Cisco said as he read the text and sent off a reply.

"As a matter of fact, you're in luck, Cait. Barry wants us both over at Star Labs now," he added and Caitlin was perplexed. What on earth was she needed at Star Labs for? Knowing better than to ask questions, she nodded her head as Cisco continued wiping down the bar.

While she had been expecting to retire for the evening, she was curious what Barry and Cisco where so secretive about when it came to their other job. After Cisco finished up, he looped his arm through Caitlin's, careful not to disturb her other arm which was still in its sling. Even though she wasn't back at work, she had been spending every night that Cisco worked behind the bar with him, keeping him company.

The duo made their way to his car and, after holding the door open for her, Caitlin eased in with only minimal protesting from her ribs. Sighing in relief once she was in, Caitlin buckled in and waited expectantly for Cisco to get in and get them going.

After a short, relatively silent car ride, they made it to the building and Caitlin stared at it happily.

"You won't believe how many times I've dreamt about visiting this place,'' she remarked conversationally after getting out of the car. Cisco laughed.

"It is a pretty cool place to work," he agreed lightly as they made their way in.

Once in what appeared to be the main lab, (the Cortex, Cisco had called it), Caitlin took in all the details. There was a medical bay in the far corner, a treadmill to the left of her, and a couple of computer monitors. She looked curiously at them before a throat clearing caught her attention.

Glancing up, she spotted Barry smiling at her and she returned his grin.

"I'm not sure why you guys thought I couldn't know about this. It's obviously just a job where either one of you run on the treadmill and then get treated in that medical bay for falling off," she teased and Barry chuckled.

"Something like that," he confirmed before cutting his eyes to Cisco, who nodded in return.

Starting to feel as if she was missing something, Caitlin spoke up, "What's going o-"

Barry cut her off when he placed his hand against the side of her fast, cradling her cheek.

"This place is more than just a gym," he murmured and Caitlin nodded, still unsure as to why it had to be a secret.

"O-okay?" She questioned.

"Its home to the Flash," Cisco confirmed and Caitlin felt her eyes go wide.

"You guys know the Flash?!" She squealed excitedly, jumping up and down a little.

"Ow, ow," she muttered as the sudden movement jostled her ribs and Barry steadied her.

"Easy," he laughed and she blushed as she rolled her eyes.

"I can't believe you never told me you guys know the Flash. Is he cool? Does he always move that fast? Does he ever take off his hood?" She rambled on and caught the look of amusement Cisco and Barry shared.

"What?" She titled her head to the side in question as both boys laughed.

"Nothing, you're just adorable, Cait," Barry said and Cisco nodded in agreement.

"Whatever," she laughed, "can I meet him?'

Barry looked at Cisco who smiled encouragingly at him.

"Yes," he started, "but you can't tell anyone who he is."

Caitlin rolled her eyes.

"Barry Allen, what kind've idiot do you think I am? Ruin a superhero's identity?" She scoffed and Barry laughed. He brushed his lips across her forehead before flying off in a flurry of electricity.

Before Caitlin even had time to acknowledge what happened, he was back in front of her in his Flash attire, with the hood pulled down.

"I think I need to sit down," Caitlin mumbled dazedly and Cisco ran to her and helped eased her down in one of the chairs.

"I know, it's a shock," he soothed and Caitlin nodded her head.

"You can say that," she muttered, still unable to believe Barry was the man behind the mask.

"Barry…Flash," she uttered, still unable to believe this was happening.

Taking a steadying breath, she looked up at him.

"So, just to get this straight, it was you that night who knocked out all those men harassing me?" She clarified and he nodded his head.

"I should've done more than knock them out, but yeah, that was me," he said.

"And it was you with Jay that night in my apartment?" She asked and watched as hatred clouded his eyes.

"Yes." He growled.

"How'd you know I wasn't okay?" She asked in disbelief and he shrugged.

"You kept saying my last name which is something you've never done before. I sped to Star Labs, grabbed my suit, sped back, grabbed Cisco, and then sped into your apartment," he stated and Caitlin felt like she had the wind knocked out of her.

"Well, I'm certainly feeling very inadequate next to you," she tried to joke but still couldn't wrap her head around this ginormous fact. Then something registered with her and she smiled.

"You picked up on my trick of using your last name. That's how I was trying to convey to you something was wrong. I just didn't expect the Flash to show up. Though, I'm not complaining," she added with a laugh.

Barry nodded his head. "I knew something was wrong the instant you called me 'Allen' and did everything I could to ensure you'd be alright."

Caitlin sighed. "You nearly killed him."

Barry hung his head. "I know and I'm sorry. I just got so angry seeing you on the floor, broken, and something inside me snapped."

After the initial shock wore off, Caitlin looked at them hesitantly.

"So, when do I get to join the team?" She asked.

 **Author's note** : I originally had planned for Barry to slip up and announce he was the flash during some heroic attempt at saving Caitlin then realized I didn't need Caitlin to be in any more danger. So he just decided to come clean with her. Hope you all enjoy. Maybe one or two more chapters and then an epilogue. Thanks for all the well wishes and responses to this story. Check out my other one if you're interested. XOXO


	20. Chapter 20

"Take your next left, Flash," Caitlin called into the comms as Cisco typed furiously against the keyboard, pulling up a map of the current intersections.

"Now, take the next right, then one more left and you should have him," she added to her boyfriend and smiled warmly at the thought. They had finally made it official about a year ago and the past year had been amazing. The way Barry loved with his whole heart left her astounded. Despite being broken, he loved every inch of her and helped her heal. She couldn't be more grateful.

"Guys, I have him!" Barry shouted and the next thing Caitlin heard was a dull thud, followed by a yelp, and then the sound of a body hitting the ground.

"Did you have to knock him out?" Caitlin asked dryly and saw Cisco chuckle.

"It's for the best, babe," Barry said before speeding off. The next thing Caitlin was aware of was Barry skidding to a stop in the Cortex, with the metahuman slung over his shoulder.

"I'm gonna go put him in the pipeline before he wakes up and torches me," he laughed and did just that.

This particular metahuman could breathe fire, had been burning down numerous buildings and destroying anyone who got in his way. Caitlin was relieved to know he was off the streets.

When Barry came back he pecked her on the lips.

"You two may be my best friends but I _definitely_ don't need to see that," Cisco cringed and Caitlin laughed.

"Sorry, Cisco," she replied before winking at Barry.

Barry smiled slyly before stealing another kiss.

"And I'm outta here. Have a good night!" Cisco called as he raced out of the room and Caitlin waved her finger at Barry.

"You didn't have to scare him off," she said and he shrugged, unapologetic.

"Maybe I just wanted some alone time with my amazingly beautiful girlfriend," he replied before grabbing another kiss.

She kissed him back for a moment before swatting his shoulder playfully.

"Alright, _Romeo,_ you promised Joe you'd fill him in on our latest encounter with Mr. Flames," she said and Barry chuckled.

"Leave the meta nicknaming to Cisco," he replied good naturedly and Caitlin smirked.

"I thought it was good," she deadpanned and Barry just shook his head fondly.

"How much more do you have left here?" He asked her and she glanced at her computer before shrugging.

"About another hour? I need to run some tests to see exactly what causes our meta to breathe fire. Then I can work on something to counteract it," she replied and he nodded his head.

"Don't be too long, I'd like to see you before I end up falling asleep tonight," he muttered and she laughed softly.

"Of course," she replied before giving him a swift kiss on the cheek.

"Now go," she added and sent him on his way.

After working for a solid hour straight, she eventually shut down her computer and locked up for the night. It was moments like this that she lived for, where she could revel in the stillness of the night and think about how drastically her life had changed. She had grown so much as a person over the course of the past year and that was thanks to Barry. Their relationship had started on shaky grounds, but he had remained patient and gentle with her, never pushing her to move at a pace too fast for her.

She fell in love with him on their second date, when he had attempted to make dinner. The night had ended in one smoke alarm going off, Chinese food being ordered, and sore stomachs from all the laughter that had followed. It was the first night she hadn't dreamt about Jay either, which was the real turning point. They hadn't waited too long to move in with each other after that.

Sighing happily, she made her way to her car and began the short journey to their shared apartment in the center of the city. She still worked at Verdant on the weekends with Cisco, but Oliver knew where her heart belonged. It's why they had a heart to heart about heroes and fighting for something bigger than all of them. It's also why Oliver came clean about being a Vigilante in Starling City. She was surprised at first, but realized it fit with everything she knew about her cousin. His constant need to protect her and those he loved; the ability to make bad people flinch with just one look. Everything clicked when they talked.

When she made it home, she spotted a glass of wine and a box of Chinese waiting for her on the table.

"I hope you're planning on joining me," she called out to Barry and heard his melodious laughter fill the apartment, warming her from head to toe.

"Of course," he replied, walking in with his own carton of food.

They sat down and enjoyed a mainly quiet dinner, not feeling the need to fill the silence with endless conversation. It was this kind of peace Caitlin reveled in the most, though. When it was just the two of them, tucked away from the outside world safely, pleased with a job well done.

"Hey Cait?" Barry broke her thoughts gently.

"Hmm?"

"I love you."

Feeling as if she could burst with happiness, she smiled fondly at him.

"I love you, too."

 **Author's note:** I'm a sap, enough said.


	21. Chapter 21

**Epilogue:**

"Barry Allen, get down here this instant!" Caitlin screeched and there was a flurry of movement and suddenly Barry was standing in front of her.

"Cait-wha-"he paused, taking in the sight before him.

"Oh my god." He mumbled, eyes round with disbelief.

"What happened?" He demanded as he took in their living room. Every surface was coated in a fine layer of paint and Caitlin had worked ridiculously hard to clean it all up but came up short.

"Your four year old daughter happened, Allen," Caitlin hissed.

"Apparently, someone told her she can paint but didn't _clarify_ where she should paint," Caitlin said and Barry laughed.

"Laugh it up, babe, but you're on clean up duty," she said smugly as she handed him a mop.

"Oh, and Barry? No speed," she added and watched in some satisfaction as his eyes bugged out.

"But, that'll take forever," he protested.

"Should've thought about that before you let our four year old loose with paint," Caitlin shrugged before kissing him swiftly and patting his back.

"Get to work babe," she grinned before walking off, Barry uttering useless protests at her as she went.

Several hours later, Barry made his way to the kitchen.

"You're mean," he said dryly and Caitlin couldn't help but smile as she handed him a sandwich.

"But you love me," she deadpanned and he laughed softly.

After getting seated, he ate his sandwich with enthusiasm.

"Where is the little monster?" He asked, having not seen her since earlier that afternoon.

"I sent her to have a sleepover with Uncle Eddie and Aunt Iris, figured we've earned a night to ourselves," she replied and he grinned.

"Sounds perfect, sweetheart," he murmured and kissed her forehead before standing up and disposing his plate into the dishwasher.

"I just don't know how we're going to be able to cope with two speedsters running around," she said and waited for his reaction.

"We'll manage, we always d- wait, two?" He questioned as he looked at her excitedly.

He rushed over to her and placed his hand on her stomach.

"You're pregnant, Cait?" He whispered and she nodded her head, happy tears gathered in her eyes.

"We're pregnant again," she clarified with a beaming smile and Barry picked her up and spun her around, kissing her all over her face.

"I love you, I love you, I love you," he muttered and she laughed into his neck.

"I love you too," she murmured once he put her down.

"How long have you known?" He asked.

"About two weeks," she replied softly, smile still present. Six years ago, she never thought she'd be this person, in this happy relationship, surrounded by healthy people who loved her. She wouldn't change one thing about it; not the sleepless nights with her daughter, not the broken bones she endured in her previous relationship, nothing. She loved everything about who she once was because it brought her to Barry and this life.

"I hope he/she has your heart. Like Olivia does," Barry murmured and Caitlin felt warmth bubble up inside her.

"And I hope he/she has your fierce protectiveness and brilliant mind,' she responded quietly, completely at peace with her life.

"Thank you, Caitlin," Barry said softly and she smiled.

"For what?" She asked curiously.

"For this. All of this. Giving me this life and making me the happiest man on the planet. Making me the proud father of a wild four year old," he replied with a chuckle which Caitlin mirrored.

"You are very welcome, babe," she kissed him softly, falling into their old pattern of happiness and love.

 **Author's note:** There you have it! I loved writing this story. I'm pretty sure I'm going to write a sequel so hang around for that if you so wish.


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